Bahamas, The Eating

Eating

Eating Ordinary meals can be had for anywhere from $5-$25 a plate. You can find fast-food chains such as KFC or McDonalds, especially in the downtown areas, but as it is a highly touristed country, you can find many nice restaurants serving many different cuisines. Most restaurants serve American or British food, though you can easily find the normal island flair, especially during the Fish Fry during June, where you can usually get a meal for about $8. A 15% service charge is added to the bill at most establishments; additional tips are optional. Service is distinct from the American standard. There is a concentration on the customer at hand that means that your table will be completely cleared and re-set before you get your bill. At fast food restaurants the server will take care of only the first customer until they have left the service area. Don't expect to be in a hurry even at a fast food establishment. Service in Freeport ranges from slow to very slow. Travelers can expect a leisurely pace to their meal. Expect slow, if polite, service at most establishments. Drinking Soda This is a tourist town. Soda is pretty pricy, and you will find it only on a soda tap if you are in a good restaurant; otherwise, you will usually get it in a can. The cheapest way to get this would be to go to a local "Food Mart." "Goombay Punch" is the local soda. It is sold in cans at all grocery stores and also available in almost every Bahamian eatery. Beer Kalik is the national brewery of the Bahamas and is always served at "all-inclusive" resorts. Kalik is a decent brand, especially given the dearth of options available. Imported beer is incredibly expensive in the Bahamas, as it is not produced there. Expect to pay about $6.00 a can there, and bottles are almost impossible to find. Don't even expect to find a decent selection. In Freeport, the Port Lucaya Marketplace and Marina has many bars offering two Kaliks (and some other brews) for $5.00. Hard Liquors This is not much of a step up from beer. You have to go out of your way to even FIND wiskey, and when you do, it's expensive, and they have only Jack Daniels. I couldn't even find brandy, and vodka averaged $15 a bottle... for the cheap stuff. Rum This is by far the best choice of drinks in the Bahamas. It's as cheap as you can get ($2-$10 a bottle), tastes great, and it's made fresh by 3 different companys, the largest being the Bacardi Rum factory, where you can take tours and get free drinks if you go on a 2-hour bus ride.