Dine & Drink in English Harbour
Antigua
A comprehensive list
Explaining English Harbour
English Harbour is a town towards the southern most point of Antigua. A beautiful, quieter cousin to the capital city of St John’s. However, the area comes alive in December, as the mega yachts and sail boats pour into the Harbour. This marks the start of what business owners and locals call “The season”. The season is incredibly important to English Harbour and Antigua as a whole, as it is the peak of the tourism trade, arguably Antigua’s biggest financial gain, and like anywhere that has people flowing, you need to find something to eat and something to drink. English Harbour is fairly self-sufficient, you don’t need to leave very often. There is grocery stores, beaches, and of course, bars and restaurants. Over the course of the past two months I’ve been living in English Harbour, and I have compiled a list of what I believe to be the must eat and drink places in my temporary home. So whether you’re a yatchy, visiting on vacation, a new local, or just a travel enthusiast like myself, this is your opportunity to understand the spots you HAVE to hit when you find yourself in this Carribean gem.
The Lunch Spot
Roti Sue
English Harbour isn’t know for having a lively lunch scene, in fact most places don’t even open until 5pm. However, there are exceptions to the rule, and one of those is Roti Sue. As other business owners are just opening their doors, Roti sue is closing hers, as the lunch day has ended...So what I’m saying is get here early, she is NOT open for dinner. Roti Sue is an infamous English Harbour local, whose lore precedes her. Although she has now been in the same brick and mortar location for an astonishing 23 years, she started selling her roti’s on the beach, to locals and tourists alike. For those of you who are unaware, a roti is a flour tortilla, wrapped around a filling of potato and protein, seasoned heavily and served with various chutneys. For those of you who are aware, you already know why I’m salivating. Roti sue makes all of her tortillas by hand, and rolls them out fresh to order , and she prepares all of her various proteins daily. The first time I went to visit her, I ate the classic chicken roti. The tortilla was soft and warm, the chicken was juicy and well seasoned, and even the potatoes we’re cooked to perfection. However, Roti Sue is the queen of chutneys and sauces. She makes all of her hot sauces and chutneys in house and they are outstanding, my personal favourite being the tamarind chutney. Roti Sue’s tamarind chutney is a little sweet, a little spicy, and the perfect edition to the MASSIVE lunch you’re about to eat. The Lunch Spot in English Harbour is without a doubt Roti Sue.
The Local Spot
Mama’s Delight
When visiting any new country, one of the most important things you can do it eat the local cuisine. You haven’t really been to a place unless you have, and you are even luckier if you manage to have that meal homecooked by a local. Mama’s delight is the truest representation of that feeling in English Harbour. Large plates of local cuisine, with more sides than one plate ever deserves, and that home cooked feel that makes you forget you’re at a restaurant. When you walk up the stairs to this house-turned-business, you see the sign of the day where ‘X’ marks the spot. Mama’s menu changed daily based on what she has available. Everything from saltfish and fungee, to baked chicken, to the seafood catch of the day, and much, much more! Every plate is served with various sides of vegetables, salads, and daily specialties like her incredible macaroni pie. For me, it was all about the goat curry. The classic West Indies taste that visits me in my dreams on a nightly basis. The curry itself was balanced, and the goat meat was tender and juicy, and by the last bite I was too full to move. Just like our mother’s around the world, this mama doesn’t skimp on the portions.
The Local Spot is Mama’s Delight.
The Comfort Food Spot
Flattie’s Flame Grill
Flattie’s Flame Grill, which will be henceforth known as simply “Flatties”, is the local BBQ spot in English Harbour. The owner Amanda, who is originally from Montreal, embodies what it means to move to the Island and really commit to what being Antiguan really is. The mark she has left on the community through her business and the food it serves has been a staple in the core of English Harbour for years.
Flatties is a BBQ joint. The kind of spot where you smell the smoked goodness from the street, see the vibes of the patio, and tell yourself “I have to make a point to try that place”. Flatties is credited with being the “Pioneers of Peri Peri Chicken in Antigua”, but they do so much more than just chicken.
In fact, being that Antigua is KNOWN for its baked chicken, that is not what I’m here to discuss.
Lets talk ribs, shall we?
The ribs at Flatties are like something out of your favourite food porn. Juicy, falling off the bone tender, glistening with sauce, and smacking you in the face with that grilled smoky that makes you think today is the day you eat a whole rack to yourself, and have a complete disregard for any sauced fingers or faces that may stand in your way.
But wait a minute, the menu is just beginning! The supporting acts are just as delicious. Flatties grilled shrimp is awesome, but they offer a variety of sauces (that can be added to anything, not just the ribs) and here is where I recommend trying the coconut chili lime sauce. Its tangy, spicy, and just a little sweet, giving it the perfect balance when paired with the shrimp.
We all know the mark to any good BBQ place is its meats and it’s sauces, but the mark to any GREAT BBQ place is that the sides measure up to the mains, and for me those sides were the mac and cheese, and Flattie’s famous potato bake.
Flattie’s mac was creamy, the pasta was well cooked, and the dish was overall very well seasoned, and is worth challenging my lactose intolerance every time. Similarly the potato bake (or as I know it, scalloped potatoes), is an indulgent experience of dairy and potatoes…Need I say much more? The melty cheese and crispy edges the engulf the stack of thinly sliced potatoes creates a magical experience for your taste buds, some locals would say the potato bake alone is worth the trip to Flattie’s.
Over the years I’ve grown to love soul food, because it really does feed your soul. It’s warm, comforting, and makes you feel good when nothing else can. Washing it down with a cold Carib, and sitting back in triumph as your plate is left with nothing but sauce remanences is a feeling like no other!
So next time you’re strolling through English Harbour, hit up Amanda at Flattie’s Flame Grill, and experience the comfort food spot.
The Social Spot
Los Cabrones
Everywhere worth being has that one place that just has something about it. The kind of place that you gravitate towards, the kind of place that people want to hangout and make new friends. For me, that place was Los Cabrones.
As the name suggest, Los Cabrones is a Mexican restaurant and tequila bar, known for its lively atmosphere. Los Cabrones (which roughly translates to “The Mother******s”) is a place of two personalities, two vibes.
The first vibe is its dinner vibe. Los Carbones serves a wide array of Mexican food and tequila based cocktails that the whole family can enjoy. Their happy hour and daily deals make it easy for you to try a multitude of different things, but I am going to tell you my personal favourites.
The shrimp mezcal fajitas are a masterclass in how to make something delicious, filling, but lacking the guilt of some of the more fried or stuffed Mexican foods. The shrimp are well cooked, the sautéed peppers and onions add a fresh flare, and the tortillas are soft and warm, but the star for me is the lime mezcal sauce that it’s all cooked in. When the alcohol hits the piping hot cast iron, and flames erupt into the sky, you are left with this light but powerful sauce that coats all of your filling, this is what I really want when I think of a fajita.
Washing it back with a Mezcal old fashioned, and making some new friends at the bar has become a nightly routine for many that pass through English Harbour by car, plane, or boat.
Although this is a tequila bar, Los Cabrones needed to find a way to represent the island that has given them so much, and their take on a rum punch does just that. The traditional mix of white and dark rum, has tequila added to it, before an array of juices and syrups, and the obligatory nutmeg and bitters are included to make a strong but dangerous mixture enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.
The owner Dan, being true to form, will tell you the best way to enjoy it is with a float of mezcal, to add a smoky component. Don’t be alarmed if he flips you off after, because at Los Cabrones that is a term of endearment.
At about 9pm the vibe begins to change. The dinner crowd makes its way out, and the social, drinking crowd makes its way in. Buckets of beers and pitchers of margaritas hit the chit printers as the dancing starts, the socializing enhances, and the mountains of nachos begin to leave the kitchen. What was once a place to sit and unwind over some birria tacos, is now the place to flirt and mingle with your peers (and watch the bartenders and kitchen staff try to keep up).
Of course every local will tell you that the place to party is Abra’s, but that is a late night spot. Think of Los Cabrones as your “pre-drink” from 9-12, where it’s not quite yet acceptable to grind up on a stranger, but a great place to lay the ground work for it later.
Whether you’re on a solo trip trying to make new friends, with your crew after a long day on the boat, or you’re just really craving Mexican food, Los Cabrones is that social spot.
The Pizza Spot
Mauro’s
Pizza is something we all crave, and in every city, town, any mass of land really, there is always a debate amongst people…”Who has the best pizza?”
For me, in English Harbour, that title belongs to Mauro’s.
A little out of the way, up in Cobb’s Cross (about a 5 minute drive from the main part of the Harbour, and a very well worth it 25 minute walk) is this bakery by day, pizzeria by night.
I’ve never met Mauro, but I have met who I assume to be Mrs. Mauro, and she is the embodiment of a no-nonsense little Italian lady, who is there for one purpose, and one purpose only…to feed you amazing stone-fire pizzas.
The inside of Mauro’s is simple, yet elegant, and is stapled by the giant pizza oven churning out pies in the open concept kitchen. The menu is large and boasts a wide variety of pizza’s, from very traditional, to not so traditional, to outright inventive. All of Mauro’s pizzas, no matter the topping, are made Neapolitan style.
For me, I like to stick with the classics. I opted for a Sicilian inspired pizza, which was basically just a margherita pizza with fresh Sicilian anchovies. Now, as much as I love anchovies, that is not what made this pizza so delicious.
Mauro does the little things right. The sauce is well seasoned and balanced, it tastes of tomato and garlic, and doesn’t have that weird sweetness that some pizza places do. The cheese was well dispersed and there was the right amount of it! I don’t care what ANYONE says, you CAN have too much cheese on a pizza. Finally, the star was the crust. The crust was well cooked, held up to the flop test, had a beautiful char from the oven it was cooked in. This is the embodiment of what a pizza should be, and an unofficial ambassador for the “Best Pizza in Antigua” brigade.
The Cocktail Spot
Negroni Terrazza
The newest addition to English Harbour is an extension of a current favourite amongst the people in town. Negroni Terrazza is a upstairs terrace extension of the popular Roquita. Now, I’ve never eaten at Roquita, so I can’t speak to its quality yet, but what I can say is their conception of Negroni Tarrazza is a much welcomed, and much needed addition to the Harbour.
Terrazza sits above all the other businesses in English Harbour, ample couches and tables cover the small space, while still leaving standing room, and of course, dancing room. The bar has partnered with the fantastic Nicholson Gin, carrying a wide variety of their on-tap gin products, most notably their Negroni and their blood orange gin.
Terrazza is the perfect date spot, the perfect “before we go to Abra’s” spot (I won’t be discussing Abra’s in this article, but if you know, you know), or just a great spot to get together with friends or business partners to chat and enjoy a beverage. The ambiance is welcoming, the service is good, and of course the Nicholson Negroni’s are exactly what you need after a long week.
I believe this new addition to the Harbour is here to stay.
The After Hours Spot
Momsy
Momsy is a living legend. She’s not so much a ‘spot’ as she is a wonderful person, but she is still a staple in the English Harbour community. Nearly every night, as you stumble out of your bar of choice, you can see the smoke from her grill in the sky, calling you like a bat signal.
Momsy’s concept is simple. A lady and her grill, cooking up burgers on an open flame for hundreds of tipsy and hungry patrons looking for something to satisfy them after a night of dancing and flirting.
The late night food scene is an entirely untouched market in English Harbour, and Momsy solves that problem. You make you way over, order you food, grab a seat on a rock and just shoot the breeze with Momsy and any other like-minded customers who may be their waiting to sink their teeth into something.
I won’t like to you and say this is going to be the best burger you’ve ever tasted in your life, because it wont be, but what I will say is that it not only fills that exact moments need in your stomach, but it also fills a need in your English Harbour experience. This is part of the deal! This is what every one of us at one point or another have had the pleasure of experiencing. Like going to Shirley Heights, or swimming at Pigeon Point beach, having a late night Momsy burger is just something you do in English Harbour, so do yourself a favour and go say hello to the legend herself.
Final Thoughts
My time in English Harbour has been a true blessing. I’ve seen amazing views, met amazing people, and of course eaten some amazing food. The dreams I’ve had of being able to see the world through the lens of a local, to live and experience a place, and then be able to write about it has all started here. This journey has been a long one for me, but I will always hold English Harbour in my heart as my new home away from home. It’s the place that started it all for me. That inspired me to build this platform, and really show that my career as a writer, especially in regards to travel and hospitality, is not only viable but a necessary part of who I am.
Being able to share these experiences I’ve had with the world, and ideally being able to inspire others to want to experience the same, is an incredible driving force in my life, and I hope to continue to do so for many years.
English Harbour is a place of opportunity, friendship, and delicious food, and when you’re planning your next trip to somewhere new, don’t neglect this beautiful Caribbean Island.