I first read about Oistins Fish Fry a few years back when considering a visit to Barbados.

We decided to go elsewhere that time but I never forgot about this weekly event.

When we decided to go to Barbados in April, it was at the top of my list for things to do!

Oistins is a fishing village in the southern part of Barbados. It also has some beaches and is well known to locals and tourists alike for it’s Friday night Fish Fry. The fish fry gets really crowded and stalls sell all types of fish (grilled or fried) like tuna, swordfish, mahi-mahi- flying fish, shrimps and many others. There is also music blasting, booths selling various crafts and locals hanging out and playing dominoes.

We decided to take the bus to the fish fry. We read that the road would be full of traffic once we got close to the village but it didn’t take too long to arrive. When we got to the bus stop, a van called a ZR pulled up. It was packed with people going to Oistins and we decided to squeeze in. (A ZR is a privately owned van that legally runs the local bus routes)

Riding in the ZR was a fun experience in itself. Reggae music was blasting and there wasn’t a bit of empty space but this didn’t seem to disturb a sleeping baby. I was holding Lucas in a carrier and he slept through all of the fun!

We had read in the Lonely Planet guide that Pat’s Place was the stall to eat at. Based on the amazing aroma in the air, huge crowds and long lines, it seemed like a great choice. We got on line but were then offered a seat by one of the waitresses. This was definitely a mistake. It took her about 10 minutes to find a spot for us. She then disappeared for a while before coming back to take our orders. I am pretty sure we could’ve stayed on line and been served much faster.

After waiting for what seemed like forever, our food finally came.

Kim ordered flying fish (Barbados’ official national fish) which was very good asides from the bones you had to watch out for. I had shrimp which were rubbery- I would not recommend them. Each dish comes with a plate full of sides- rice & peas, macaroni pie, french fries and some salads. Each plate cost $30 Barbados which is $15US.

I am glad that we got to check out the Oistins Fish Fry but was not impressed with the food. However, it is still a fun event well worth checking out.