TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin The Original Pedro's

I just saw an article claiming that the original Pedro's sat where Papagayo's is now. Do any of you remember being there, seeing it?

My memory is a bit cloudy but on my second trip to SXM in the late 70's, pre Club O, Pedro had a shack or a VW bus type thing with a BBQ and most of his customers walked over from the Le Galion hotel. The beach was pretty much empty with perhaps a dozen couples on its entire length. I do remember eating a grilled marlin steak washed down with some ice cold heinies. And it was CO back in those days along the entire beach since there was nothing else there, hard to believe now!

The only Pedro's I remember is probably closer to where the Perch is in the early 80's.....it was basically, a 'lean to ' with Pedro cooking on a charcoal grill in the back. They had a weird system for ordering. If you wanted food you went to one counter....if you wanted a drink you went to the next counter.....if you wanted a drink with food it was written on 2 pieces of paper.....one for the food then the other one went to a little window next door (drink counter) and you'd go to the next counter for the drink. LOL. It was strange but it worked for them.....and us. We keep returning.
31 years and counting.....

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> Contessa

Embarrassing to admit, but I have no clue where Pedro's is today but I thought, digging waaaay back into my memory, the original Pedro's was a half drum BBQ pit in and at the edge of the sand with a cooler next to it for cold drinks. You asked him what he was serving that day and either placed your lunch order then or did without. That might have been the early to mid 70's. But then again, that might also have been some other young entrepreneur who predated him. I do remember that this was the only food possibility along the beach back then.......short of bringing your own, that is, and it was also before the days of the Club O most of us know today. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Gee, Pat, it's been a long time since you've been to that end of Orient, if you don't know where Pedro's is. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

Club Orient was already there, the first time we visited Orient, so I always remember Pedro's being where it is now. And the thing with ordering drinks at one window and food at another, again, they did that until pretty recently. I remember being pretty shocked the first time we went there and they actually had table service! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

Back in the day when we first met it.....Orient was quiet, undeveloped and you could pretty much count on having the beach to yourself or sharing it with just another two or three couples and the ORIGINAL Club O denizens for the full expanse of the beach.

Once it started being developed it lost a lot of it's appeal for us and I think, in all honesty, the last time we were there, my almost sixteen year old Grandson was but a toddler, and even then, we were at the quiet end of the beach.

We were so totally turned off that day we've not bothered going back, and I do know that was a particularly bad day on Orient, but there are so many beaches we love that we really don't miss it much. And we do have Mullet conveniently at our toes so that's where we spend many of our beaching days.

We had a chance to visit with Pedro last year on our annual visit.
We first met him in 1976, which I'm pretty sure was his first year on OB and he was located where the water sports building is located.
In the early years we stayed at LeGallion and walked to OB for the day and back then it was just a beach, but we were hooked.
As Club Orient was developed by Ray Brink, we started staying there and have returned every year.
It is our understanding that when Ray decided to open a restaurant, he helped move Pedro to his current location, but that may or may not be
accurate.
We try to go by Pedro's and have a few meals each visit and say hello, but this year we did not see him.
Hopefully, the changes on his end of the beach will end well, but we will miss the way it was.

I seem to remember hearing/reading that part of the deal that Pedro and Ray Brink made for Pedro relocating was that Ray would supply Pedro with water and power. Which took place well before our first time staying on island in October of 1991.

That is what I heard, as well. The thought of breaking through the Bush coming from LeGallion with an undeveloped Orient beach in front of you is breath taking...wish I had been there.

Me too!!!

LeGallion was a great place to stay with a beautiful restaurant and a stone patio, but in our opinion nothing beats the Club Orient experience.
As you walked to Orient Beach there is a wall separating the property. At the pass through there is, I think still standing, a small security building. It is now most likely overgrown.
As to Pedro's. I'm curious if CO is still providing water and power and in light of the current construction, if Pedro at some time acquired the property on which his restaurant sits.

I was there in 78... pushcart!

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