If you read my review of East Bay Resort, you know that South Caicos is a small, secluded island.
It’s the seventh-largest island in the Turks and Caicos archipelago, with a land area of 21.2 square kilometers (8.18 square miles).
South Caicos is known for excellent fishing, both deep-sea and bone fishing, and scuba diving. Today, we’re going to dive into my list of the best restaurants in South Caicos.
There are only five restaurants on this beautiful island. All of them are open-air restaurants and since I’m such a foodie, let’s look at all five restaurants.
Best Restaurants – South Caicos
It’s hard to rate these restaurants from one to five because they all offer different atmospheres, different price ranges, and different food options. So we will start with BLU, the resort restaurant, and go from there.
BLU Bar and Grill
The East Bay Resort restaurant, BLU Bar and Grill, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Breakfast is a full buffet, served 7:30-10:30 AM, and is complimentary.
Lunch is served between 12:00 noon and 4:00 PM.
The island-inspired dinner menu is served between 6:30 PM and 10:00 PM. Packed lunches are available for picnics, etc.
For me, BLU has the best atmosphere, with amazing views of the ocean. Dinner is a fine dining (island-style) experience in a casual, friendly environment.
The portions are huge and the price is a little higher than the other restaurants (except for Great House Restaurant – it’s the highest.)
For dinner, I have several favorite dishes at BLU, including the Pasta Seafood (pasta with mussels, shrimp, and fish) and the Seafood Saffron Risotto.
My husband loves the ribeye steak and the Big Kahuna Burger (with grilled pineapple). The fries are amazing too!
My favorite lunch items include the Greek salad, the Caesar salad, and the nachos because sometimes you’ve got to get your Mexican food fix. The veggie sandwich is also delicious.
My husband enjoys the fish and chips, and grilled grouper sandwich (not on the menu but he asked and they delivered).
To dine at BLU or any of the restaurants, be sure and make reservations at the front desk before 5:00 PM.
Cons: My husband and I both feel that the seasoning is never quite on point. All of the dishes needed a little something to put them over.
Plus, the foam on every single plate is a tad redundant. I mean, come on, a ribeye steak does not need foam on top. Also, the prices are a tad high for the quality of the food.
When it comes to shrimp, I think I make the best shrimp ever so to me, the shrimp is always a touch overcooked.
Pros: Huge portions! We usually had enough food left over to box it up for lunch the next day. The manager of the resort, Bert, not only comes by your table to say hello and chat, but he also took our order one night. He’s so nice!
Sunset Cafe Bar and Grill
Sunset Cafe Bar and Grill is located in Cockburn Harbour and the owner and his wife are super friendly. The first time we ate there, we had to endure someone screaming over a loudspeaker across the street. Thankfully, the day we had lunch there, it was peaceful and quiet. We’ve eaten here several times and they never disappoint!
Our food picks: Sunset Cafe Bar and Grill gets our vote for the best-grilled grouper on the island. My husband is crazy about their mac & cheese and my favorite side dish is the rice and peas. The coleslaw is good, too.
As with all the restaurants on the island, the prices are a little high. Expect to pay around $75+ for a meal for two at Sunset Cafe Bar and Grill.
Here I am with my favorite server at Sunset Cafe Bar and Grill.
The Dolphin Grill
The Dolphin is not far from our resort (none of the restaurants are) and it’s pretty good. My coconut shrimp was just OK. The baked potato is good and the mac & cheese, for me, is the best on the island.
The views are beautiful, but there was a group of men in one section who were very, very loud and they were cursing every other word. It was a real turn-off but I can’t blame the restaurant for the loud customers.
The owner, Cleo, is super nice, but it was loud in there!
Triple J’s Grill
Triple J’s is our favorite super casual restaurant. It’s an outdoor kitchen behind a house and the grill is manned by the dad. His sweet daughter is the waitress and the son, who is an EMT, was visiting on holiday.
The son took us back to the resort and he was really nice, as was the entire family.
They serve grilled ribs, chicken, etc. My favorites at Triple J’s are the baked potato halves topped with cheese and the dumplings.
The daughter took me over to the grill and gave me a tour of the cooking area. The dumplings look like elongated hush puppies but are a tad sweet and taste almost like a doughnut. I’m going to try and get the recipe. Wish me luck!
Triple J’s is ONLY open on Friday and Saturday nights.
Great House Restaurant
This is the only restaurant we didn’t try. Great House Restaurant is located in the luxurious Sailrock Resort.
After looking at the menu online and talking to some people from our resort that had tried it, we decided not to go.
After checking out the menu online, it was very similar to the menu at our resort restaurant, BLU, plus the shuttle is not free.
Someone told us it was $50 round trip. Also, it is the most expensive restaurant on the island. I’m sure the food is amazing. We just never made it over. Maybe next time.
Desserts
For some reason, I never like the desserts on any of the islands we visit. I can’t put my finger on it, but they are just not up to my standards. Of course, we all think our crow is the blackest! 🙂
This can be a good thing! Maybe I won’t gain weight on this trip! My husband ordered dessert a couple of times (BLU and The Dolphin) and they were not very good.
Shuttle Service to Other Restaurants
East Bay Resort offers a FREE shuttle service to all of the restaurants. Then, the restaurant offers a free shuttle back to the resort. It’s a pretty good deal!
Note: There is a fee for a shuttle to Great House Restaurant and back. I think it’s because it’s the only other luxury resort on the island and competition is the name of the game.
Final Thoughts
I do wish we could come back during the lobster season. All of the restaurants serve fresh lobster when it’s in season. Maybe I can come back in August when the lobster season returns. Wink.
My husband and I have learned to be patient (5 minutes is never just 5 minutes) when we’re visiting the islands. Island time is a thing and remember, you’re on vacation. There’s no hurry, right?
Plus, there are always hits and misses when you eat at different restaurants. We all have opinions and these just happen to be mine when it comes to the best restaurants in South Caicos.
Bottom line: For me, the best restaurant in South Caicos is Sunset Cafe Bar and Grill. BLU is the runner-up and Triple J’s is my Friday night favorite. When you’re visiting South Caicos, visit all the restaurants. Your opinions may be entirely different from mine.
