TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Lolo's

What are your favorite lolo's and places for fresh seafood in Grand Case and around the island? Some of our favorite meals in the caribbean have been on the roadside, and we'd like to continue that tradition.

I have always liked Talk Of The Town in GC. Has been closed for a couple of years and reopened under the same name, same location and owners. I will try them out again this May to see if they are still my favorite.
In Simpson Bay Captain D's is very good.

Rosemary's in Marigot. Consistently good Creole food. The lolos in GC are very "hit and miss", IME.

OK, newbie here, lolo?

A lolo (I believe) stands for "Locally Owned, Locally Operated" but they're basically very very casual restaurants. You'll always see a grill that looks like half an oil drum, that's probably what it is or was at one time, cooking ribs, chicken, fish, rice, etc. You'll find them in grand Case, on many beaches, on the side of the road, etc. Its the stop for local food in SXM. Think of it as someplace Anthony Bourdain would rather eat from as opposed to a fancy restaurant.

thanks, love eating local food

That's a common misconception, but lolo is actually the word for the grill on which the food is cooked.

The LoLo is actually the BBQ drum that the food is cooked on. It has also mistakenly taken on the meaning for the establishment that the food is cooked on the drum type BBQ.

There are between four and six lolos on the Grand Cas lolo pier at any time depending on the ups and downs of the business. The two establishments on the street side try to pretend that they are the ONLY ones, and aggressively recruit customers, especially Talk of the Town... and then you wait a loooong time for your food while they push more drinks... (Our observations from 1999-2011). The food was very good when it finally arrived, but we would sit there for over an hour before it arrived due to the Hostess's agressive recruiting of customers...

But there IS a center aisle between them and more lolos as you head back towards the water. Our personal favorite was all the way back to the water and on the right as you face the channel and look across the water towards Anguilla. It was slower paced than the ones on the street side, the food was excellent, and the service is much faster than the "high volume" operations streetside.

And the evening view from the waterside lolo was wonderful!

Just my thoughts..

We have been to the lolos three times and each time it was a different place and all good! We have been all the way in and to the right, all the way in and to the left as well as on the left just as you start in the main section. We always looked to see what they were cooking, how they were cooking it and how the service was as we looked around before we made our selection. We were also looking for the "green flash" if we got there early enough and chose a seat for the best view. We never did see it. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

You need enough to drink first. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

I agree scuba man. Seen it but not sure i saw it!

I have to admit it did see it last year with out having any drinks. One of those rare moments seeing it. And even rarer without a drink in my hand that time of the evening. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />

in Grand Case....talk of the town.....overall.....Rosie's on Mullett Beach!!!

Not a LoLo, but not to be missed, is Yvette's. Very local food, and in a little house. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" />

Actually seeing the "green flash" can be a difficult task to achieve. Luckily we have pictures to prove it as some people don't believe it exists. It only lasts a few seconds, so not always easy to get a picture.

With reference to the lolos, they're kind of only on my radar if we're in Grand Case at lunchtime walking around and are really hungry but we would never choose them as a dinner destination, but at the same time, we absolutely love the lolo style BBQ rib lunch at Rosie's on Mullet and this in itself would make Mullet a destination beach for lunch in my book, and often does even on the days when the surfs running too hard for me to enjoy beyond it being a great place to catch some rays and read a good book.

But with regard to the green flash, if you missed it, don't feel too badly. I know it exists. Friends have spoken of it. Other friends have photographed it. So very many we know have actually seen it in real time.

I, on the other hand, have been visiting St. Maarten/St. Martin once or twice a year for the past 41+ years and I've never yet seen it so don't feel too bad. Of course, we aren't generally out around sunset in areas where we might get to view it, and I can't honestly say we've actively persued the sight of it when we are......it's always been an 'if it happens - awesome, but if not, oh well - next time perhaps?' type of thing, IMO.

If you're lucky enough to see that most elusive green flash, enjoy the moment and consider yourself fortunate, and if not, well, guess you'll just have to keep returning until you do, or so I tell my DH with every unsuccessful trip. And so far, he's still buying it..... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

I can't count how many times we have seen the green flash, but mostly in Hawaii. Is it harder to see in St. Martin?

I think it is. We have tried in SXM but there are always clouds on the horizon, it needs to be totally clear. We have never seen the green flash in SXM but while in Curacao we see it almost every clear night.

green flash? whats up with that? new superhero?

As to the green flash. Yes it is real and I've seen it on SXM at least once in a week's visit since the late 80's. I stay at the Divi and have a good vantage point during week 11 and it is even better in April when I switch weeks. Must admit that the best ones I've seen were in Hawaii either from the Big Island or Kauai.
A few years ago in SXM a group of newbies, grandparents, parents and kids showed up after checking in near my vantage point and I told them to watch the sun. Half saw it and half didn't, so I told them they didn't drink enough rum punch at check-in. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" /> So, I guess I helped with the urban myth that only drinkers see it.
It is dependent on a clear sky sunset.

I did actually see it in Aruba but again I was at a bar. And there was not a cloud in sight on the horizon so going to agree with that part.

Oops forgot to mention some lolo's that was the OP original question. Though not in Grand Case, I gave up on those years ago, I agree with Yvettes. But if you want a really unique experience visit Hilma's in SB for truly local SXM food and an earful about local politics. Yes it hard to find and parking is next to impossible, but worth the effort. She is a doll. Her Dutch coffee is hard to beat, even early in the morning.