Eating without Breaking the Bank

[tendi]

The two things I keep hearing about GC is the diving is great and it's sooooo expensive. We plan to eat breakfast and lunch at our condo but would like to go out at night. I'm looking for a list of cheaper places to eat. Prefer local places...not interested in McDonalds or Subway. Also not interested in dressing up to much for dinner...nice shorts/nice shirt maybe a sundress. Hubby says if he has to wear pants, it's not a vacation.

 

[EastEndDiver]

To start I have never been in a place in GC that threw me out because I was wearing shorts.

A few places that are "relatively" cheap are

Eats (it is a diner type place with an extensive menu) on 7 Mile Beach

Sunshine suites right off 7 Mile beach

Chicken Chicken on 7 mile beach,Caymans answer to Boston Market

Morgans Harbor in West Bay

Guy Harvey's in Georgetown

Coconut Joe's on 7 Mile Beach

The Brickhouse in South Sound area

Deckers on 7 Mile Beach

Cimboco right off 7 Mile Beach

Rolands Garden opposite Cimboco

There are others.

Pick up a copy of the Cayman activity guide at the airport ,there are coupons in it which can save you a few bucks.

Here is a link to a map guide of Cayman Resurants;

http://www.caymanrestaurants.com/maps.html

 

[caymaniac]

The two things I keep hearing about GC is the diving is great and it's sooooo expensive. We plan to eat breakfast and lunch at our condo but would like to go out at night. I'm looking for a list of cheaper places to eat. Prefer local places...not interested in McDonalds or Subway. Also not interested in dressing up to much for dinner...nice shorts/nice shirt maybe a sundress. Hubby says if he has to wear pants, it's not a vacation.

There is no McDonalds, but there is a Burger King and a Subway. We have done what you want to do, eat in for breakfast and dinner and out for dinner. Don't worry about dressing up unless you want to pay alot like at places like Calypsos and the Hyatt. Yes it will cost a bit more but hey you're on a island where it's 25% more to begin with. Every time we go we take less clothing and we still take too much. Eat at "My Bar", watch the sun go down, eat on the beach at the Calypso Grill, stay away from dress up places (which are few) and you'll be fine. Yes the Lobster Pot will cost a bit but it's not outrageous.

There's plenty of restaurants at the shopping mall Caymana too, but it can be a little pricey here.

 

[nfarrar]

Try Kaibo Yacht Club on Tuesday night for the all you can eat Carribean BBQ. Its GREAT. It is $25 for dinner or $45 per for a water taxi and dinner. Its a very nice ride there. Even better going back as its dark and the stars are out. Chicken Chicken is good. I love Al La Kebab for lunch.

Check out this site. Passenger Picks -home

It is maintained by a Delta flight attendant Val. Shes a sweety. She has a lot of good specials listed on the site.

Later Mon,
Nick

 

[Testudo]

Here is a an article I posted on Trip Advisor regarding less costly dinning options on Grand Cayman:

Grand Cayman: Cheap Eats - TripAdvisor

While dining in Grand Cayman is not what many North American visitors would consider to be inexpensive, dining on a budget is entirely possible with a little open-mindedness. With just about every ingredient needing to be imported, costs are apt to be at least 25% more than like items or dishes back "on the mainland", regardless of where you dine. Also remember to keep in mind that the exchange rate puts American visitors at another "disadvantage" when using USD. Prices at most restaurants are listed in local currency, Cayman Dollars, which exchange at a constant 25% premium to the U.S. Dollar (The CI$ is pegged to the USD at an exchange rate of $1.00 U.S. = $.80 CI; $1.00 CI = $1.25 U.S.). All in all, one can make the generalization that dining out is usually "not cheap" in Grand Cayman, but this article does a very good job of helping point out some of the less costly options, so make sure to take note and save a few bucks.

The best way to keep dining costs in check for those staying in lodgings with kitchens is to supplement dining out with eating in. The grocery stores on the island are very similar in layout and type of products carried as to those in the United States and Canada. Many also carry goods that would be familiar to those visitors form Britain and Asia. Take a short trip to the supermarket and load up on bagels, fruit, cereal, and everything you would normally eat at home. If you happen to be grocery shopping around lunchtime or dinnertime, you may notice many fellow shoppers "grazing" the prepared foods offering at the larger stores. The hot and cold prepared food at the supermarkets can be another great money saving option for those in the know. Almost all the grocery stores accept credit cards and traveler's cheques.

For those situated around George Town and Seven Mile Beach, the fisherman's market on the little beach next to Hammerhead's Brew Pub & Grill is a great place to get your own catch of the day (most fish are around $5-$8 U.S. per lb.) No place to cook your fish? Simply take it to Hammerheads and they'll cook and serve it with a side-dish for a $10 CI per lb. fee. Guy Harvey's Grill in the harbour area features a CI$9.99/US$12.50 dinner special each evening, the steak and frites on Thursday and Friday nights are especially popular.

While you can easily spend $75 U.S. Dollars for breakfast at one of the island's favorite pastimes, a full-spread proper Sunday Brunch Buffet, you certainly do not need to. The Westin's regular breakest buffet (which includes: pastries, hot oatmeals, omlet station with many fillings, fresh fruit, cheeses, and hot plates of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausgage, pancakes and fresh squeezed fruit juices) is $15 CI at the time of writting. Some places around Seven Mile Beach to consider for breakfast that would certainly cost you less than that would be Treats, Paperman's Coffee Shop, Cafe del Sol, ICOA fine Foods, the Black Trumpet, andEATS Cafe (for an American diner style menu). If you stay at the Sunshine Suites Resort, you get a continental breakfast included in your rate. You can upgrade to a hot buffet breakfast buffet for $6.25/person. Having an economical, large breakfast, and then having lunch out of the fridge takes the sting out of those $150 U.S. dinners at some great 5-star dining establishments that you won't find as good anywhere else in the Caribbean!!!

Next, when eating out, eat like a local. Very few Caymanians or ex-pats will be eating at Blue every night. Other than the handful of fast food eateries around George Town and Seven Mile Beach, there are plenty of take-out /sit down options - pizza, and Chinese, Thai and Indian restaurants that are affordable. A popular spot for locals and tourists alike is Chicken! Chicken! for grilled chicken and side akin to a Boston Market. Al La Kebab has great gyro wraps (~$25/for two), and there is good ol' KFC, Burger King, Subway, Popeyes - yep, Grand Cayman has some fast food places from the mainland (~$25/for two). There are also numerous restuarants in and around George Town that cater to the local and ex-pat community serving Caribbean or other ethnic fare (Indian, Phillipino, Handuran, etc..) that are less expensive than the tourist focuses establishments. See the Cayman Good Tatste link below and search for specific cuisines to find these hidden gems.

A great tool to help target your dining options is the Cayman Good Taste website which lists many of the island's restaurants and presents their menu and pricing information(Pricing is listed in the local currency). A search under local cuisine will yield many lower cost dining options. Many restaurants in the George Town and Seven Mile Beach area will also deliver; Fine Dine In is a local delivery service used by many establishments in the event you feel like staying in.

Caymanians also enjoy street food and this means Jerk Stands or BBQ Stands (many are cash only). While jerk stands are predominately located in the George Town - Seymour's and Bodden Town areas - Rankins Jerk Pit , Grape Tree Cafe fish fry, Chester's Fish Fry and Woods' Jerk Stand; BBQ options are usually available Thursdays - Saturdays along roadsides in the Seven Mile Beach, West Bay and Prospect areas of the island. Chef John's BBQ has three outposts: Crewe Rd. in George Town, Public Beach in Seven Mile Beach and up by the West Bay Public Beach which is managed by his daughter Norma Jean.

Since many visitors will be on vacation, a sit down dining experience is probably key to truly enjoying a visit. So if you are intent on skipping the many world-class dining options or your budget just won't allow for it, there is no need to go hungry. The following restaurants are nothing fancy, but popular among both locals and tourists, so expect a wait (many serve breakfast well): Sunshine Grill for casual fare like fish tacos and burgers, Tim Buc Tuu for eclectic Caribbean fare, Cimboco for Caribbean fare, and many other you can find on Cayman Good Taste or Trip Advisor's reviews using the filter by price option.

Finally, many establishments have promotions and discounts which help save some $$. Check out any of the local publications (found at the airport of other tourist areas like car rentals or retail stores) for money saving coupons or announcements for specials. Many bars and restaurants will have happy hour or other specials that can include free buffets or discount food items along with drink specials. Some to reference are: What's Hot Cayman, eCay Online, and Wild Bannana.

Another way to save a few bucks by avoiding taxi or rental car expenses is to take the Public mini-bus system. The bus system is best utilized for trips up and down West Bay Rd., between the George Town-Seven Mile Beach-West Bay corridor. A practical guide to using the bus system can be found here.

As the dining scene in Cayman is always changing, it is a good idea to ask in the Cayman Islands Forums for the most current information regarding where to eat. A guide and review of a few affordable options can be found here as well.

Buon Appetito!

 

[Alex777]

You can get a good cheap Chinese meal at Dragon Garden #2. A friend of mine from Beijing gives it her seal of approval.

 

[HBOT]

Chicken Chicken
Sunset suites
TimBucTuu

You'll be just fine at any of these on a budget.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

There is no McDonalds, but there is a...

MacDonalds. They serve decent fried chicken. Perhaps better for a lunch out but it's cheap.

Other's have mentioned Eats Cafe (across the road from the Westin Hotel) but you should know it shares the kitchen with Yoshi Sushi and Legends Sports Bar. You can find a nice meal for around US$25 per person.

Copper Falls serves nice steaks. The entree price includes a highball drink or beer and the usual sides. Should be around US$75 for dinner for two if you skip the wine.

For more local fare try Champion House II on Eastern Avenue for a variety of island choices. Ox Tail, Escovitch Fish, Rundown, and the like.

 

[diversteve]

There's a Hard Rock Cafe in Georgetown. I don't remember it being particularly more expensive than our local one.

My Bar at Sunset House has great sandwiches and a great view. Dinner there isn't much over $25 or so.

Drive up to Macabuca one night for inexpensive oceanfront food and live music on Friday night. They do a few dinners under $20 - sandwiches and Panini's under $15 - Cracked Conch on the same property is pricier. Cracked Conch Ocean Front Seafood Restaurant and Macabuca Tiki Bar

These two sites may help:

Grand Cayman Islands Restaurants Guide
Grand Cayman Restaurants Guide for Cayman Islands Restaurants

 

[billinwilliamston]

Last we were on-island (mid-January), happy hour was inexpensive (and crowded) at Guy Harveys and inexpensive (and deserted) at Hard Rock. I don't know if they still do it or not, but Hard Rock had a 3-4-5 happy hour where drinks and appetizers were $3, $4 or $5. A bonus if you're sitting at the bar at Hard Rock is throwing your coasters at the cymbals behind the bar. They love that.