The Best Eating On North Caicos Island

Posted on August 26, 2009
Filed Under Caribbean, Islands, Reviews

Whenever traveling, I like to find those out-of-the-way places to eat. You know, the ones where the locals go to get a great meal for a fair price. Often these eateries don’t look like much, and usually take extra effort to get to, or even find, but man are they worth they effort.

The best way to locate one is to ask around. Check with the locals, make use of travel sites on the internet, and ask other visitors. Folks are usually not shy about telling what they think.

Also, keep your ears open. We learned about a place called Franks from overhearing the conversation between a couple folks who were annual visitors to these islands. They were happy to share their discovery, and provided details for finding it, without which we probably never would.

First you have to leave Provo and get over to North Caicos where the pace slows way down. Take the ferry and arrange to have a rental car waiting when you arrive. Note there is no office, over there – just the car and a friendly guy to take your money and answer questions. He may even need you to drop him off at his place on your way out.

While Franks is just off the main road, and has the remnant of a sign partially hidden by some trees, it is definitely easy to miss if you don’t know when to start looking. We passed it a few times each way. The turn off is more of a wash than a road, where the car bottoms out in the potholes.

But once you drive up it a couple hundred yards, you’ll see the house. Yep, it’s a house with the restaurant in front, and a small bar off the main room. The atmosphere was relaxed, and the kids playing outside just reinforced the slower pace here. We later learned they were actually Franks grandkids.

We arrived around lunch time, and aside from a couple guys coming in for to go orders, we were the only sit-down customers. At that time Frank wasn’t there, but his daughter was. Friendly and gracious, she took our order and prepared a great meal of fish, conch fritters, and veggies. We also got a chance to visit briefly with her afterwards.

Bottom line is that our meal at Franks was our favorite during our trip to these islands. It takes some effort to find, but the search is worth it because the food is great and the prices extremely reasonable – which is saying a lot, since most everything tends be pricey in these islands.

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