Fish Fry

I never thought I'd love the taste of something that feeds on algae, but to my credit, I didn't learn that conch ate algae until after I had fallen deeply and irreversibly in love with the sea snail. I started eating conch before I was old enough to even know what algae was. At the time, I also didn't realize that conch was a sea snail (ick). But it's too late now, I'm all in.

Conch should be the national dish of The Bahamas, but that's just my opinion. There's no denying that it's widely revered across the country.
When you come to The Bahamas and you ask a local what Bahamian dish you should try, nearly everyone will suggest conch. If you ask them where you can get it from, most will say Arawak Cay, or as Bahamians call it, the Fish Fry.

As I said, Bahamians love conch, whether it's cracked (battered and fried) steamed, stewed, fritters, chowder, or the latest conch dish, tropical conch salad. I love them all, but my favorite is definitely cracked conch with lots of ketchup, mayonnaise, and onions on top. Don't knock it until you try it.

Nearly all restaurants have one variation of conch on its menu and it's not hard to understand why. It's an easy sell.

That's why the Fish Fry is so popular. There are a collection of small restaurants (stalls) on Arawak Cay and just about all of them specialize in conch. The Fish Fry is also the most popular spot for conch salad, which is diced (uncooked) conch, onions, sweet pepper, tomatoes, lime, salt, and pepper. The tropical version includes pineapples and mangoes. Yum.

But the stalls at Fish Fry also specialize in fried fish (otherwise the name would make no sense) and a number of other seafood dishes. If you're not into seafood, no worries several stalls have wider menus that include chicken, steak, and pork chops. But if I were you, I'd try the conch. Trust me, you'll love it.