Zeerover
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The catch of the day varies! The seafood (fish / shrimp) are all fried, but contrary to fried fish back home in Canada šØš¦, because the seafood is all fresh, it's all still very juicy inside!!! Not at all like fish & chips back home. (So even if you don't think you're a fan of fried fish, you absolutely must try it while in Aruba!) š¦š¼ And while the lineup to order at the window is often long and temperature-wise very hot, and breeze-less, (despite their giant fan šŖ), be assured that after you pass the order area, the seating area is very comfortable with ample exposure to trade winds š¬ļø while you eat! Seafood š¦ š is ordered by the raw pound (or in the case of fish, you could also order by the piece), you get to see what you're buying/ordering before they cook it! Fries š, plantains š, salad š„ , tartar sauce, etc are ordered at the same time, all at the first window. (But not the drinks, more on that later.) After paying at the second window, they then give you a number to take to a self seating area by, or on the dock! Drinks š° are ordered separately behind the food ordering area (at the bar). They have lots of selection, and it seems a bucket šŖ£ is the way to go if you drink beer! š» Leave your number visible wherever you choose to sit šŖ and just enjoy the view š and the breeze. š¬ļø They will bring you your food and it will be more than worth any lineup, or wait!!! The shrimp fried š¦š¤ was the highlight of our first meal! (It took a minute to eat, as we had to peel and devein them.) But coming from someone who doesn't usually enjoy shrimp, it was absolutely amazing!!! š That's not to say the fish wasn't good, rather far from it - it was also amazing š¤¤ Just the shrimp š¦ outshone both the red snapper and the amberjack that first visit! š We loved the food so much so that we returned a couple of days later for lunch, where we enjoyed Barracuda and shrimp again. Interestingly, the shrimp š¤ was a little different the second time. They were peeled and deveined already, so while they were much easier to eat, they were notably a little less tasty than at our first visit. The Barracuda on the other hand was so delicious I was regretful that I didn't order more, even though we were way too full!!! Regarding the facilities... There are washrooms and ample seating area, mostly by the dock or between the bar and the dock. However if you're lucky, you can snag one of 3 tables right on the dock!!! āµ Try not to feed the birds/seagulls š¦ by throwing food bits/shells, etc into the water as this creates a bit of a pest problem and disturbance for other diners and the restaurant itself! If you're curious and like to see how everything works, you can see the cooking / frying š³ area closer to the dock. And if you like to see the raw fish š preparation area, you can see it further/on the south side of the seating area. šŖThere are also a lot of crabs š¦ eating the inedible fish scraps left for them by the fishmongers. š So they're fun to watch. So for absolutely delicious seafood, and I affordable prices you must make the drive over to ZEEROVER from wherever you're staying on the island!!! š¦š¼ šļø Thank you so much for the amazing food!!!
MargaretMargaret
00
Zeerovers isnāt just a restaurantāitās an experience. A gritty, sun-soaked, salt-crusted ode to the sea and everything that makes this island special. This is the real Aruba, stripped of the glossy veneer of resort menus and cruise ship day-trippers. You donāt just eat here; you feel the island under your skin. The first thing you notice is the smellābriny, smoky, and unmistakably fresh. Youāre at the edge of the water, where the breeze carries the promise of something extraordinary. Thereās no hostess to greet you with a fake smile and a waitlist. Instead, thereās a line. A simple counter. And the catch of the day, laid out like treasures from Poseidon himself. Zeerovers doesnāt do pretense. You pick your fish, your shrimp, and they weigh it right in front of you. A transaction so raw and honest it feels almost ceremonial. Then itās handed off to the fryers, where a baptism in hot oil transforms it into something transcendent. The food? Perfect in its simplicity. The fish is impossibly freshāgrouper, snapper, maybe barracuda if youāre lucky. Fried golden, with just enough crisp to balance the tender, flaky flesh inside. The shrimp are plump, juicy, and sweet, with just the faintest hint of the sea still clinging to them. No batter to hide behind, no over-seasoning to distract you. Just seafood done the way itās meant to be. And the sides? Plantains, fries, and johnnycakesāhumble, honest accompaniments that donāt try to steal the spotlight. You pile it all onto a tray, grab your sauces, and find a seat on the dock. Thatās the move here: feet up, cold beer in hand, staring out at the turquoise water as you dig in with your fingers. The crowd is a mix. Locals who know this is the best deal in town. Travelers whoāve gone off-script and found themselves in the right place. Kids chasing seagulls. Fishermen unloading the next dayās catch just a few feet away. Itās chaotic and beautiful and so damn real. Zeerovers isnāt for everyone. If you want white tablecloths, a sommelier, or an amuse-bouche you can barely see, stay in your hotel. But if you want to taste the island, to feel the pulse of Aruba in every bite of fish and every sip of beer, this is the place. No reservations. No pretension. Just fresh seafood, cold drinks, and a view thatāll make you wonder why you ever wasted your time anywhere else. Zeerovers isnāt just a mealāitās a reminder of why we travel, why we explore, why food, at its best, is about connection. Come hungry. Come thirsty. Leave happy.
Vitaliy SVitaliy S
20
I am actually going to write a review that helps others as this place and navigating can be a little confusing. I had so many questions going into it but really wanted to visit. To start getting there itās a 30 ish minute drive from the north of the island. For us we got a taxi from the Boardwalk (near Ritz and Marriott) and it was around $40 to go there. Go to this place a little before you are hungry and itāll be fantastic. We went for a late lunch on a weekday and it was still very much busy. We got there and the line was just past the shade of the canopy. I would say it was a 45-1 hr wait. While you are waiting you are going to want to figure what you want. People that wait and still donāt know what they want slow down the line. Look at the board and you will see the fish of the day that are caught. We saw grouper and mahi and shrimp. For two of us we decided we wanted to over order a bit and try a few things. We got .5kg of grouper, .5 kg of mahi and 8 shrimp. Two tarter sauces are a must as well (it was the best I ever had). Also an order of plantain which was 4-5 pieces. Youāll want to ask whatās whole fish vs steak if that matters to you. Grouper came whole, mahi was in steaks, and shrimp came with heads on. They have this lime-chili seasoning on them and all is fried and itās so yummy! Our total for food was around $27-29. They do take credit cards. While you are waiting for your food which doesnāt take long from ordering you go to a second window to get drinks. From there we ordered beerā¦ chill, mango magic, and a coconut dushi for dessert. Total for drinks and dessert was $11. We also were able to buy a bottle of papaya hot sauce for $7 here (amazing!). Youāll want to scout out a table. All tables are overlooking the water but 3 are directly over the water on a dock. We got one of those. Hold onto your napkins and plates as it will be windy. Do not throw your food into the water as the seagulls will be super annoying. Look below though and see all the amazing fish ranging from tiny to several feet long. Wash your hands leaving by the sinks as the shrimp will be messy but worth it. Give $20 as a hold (collateral) to get a taxi back to your hotel and youāll wait 15-20 minutes and they will take you back easily. This place was an experience and we are very glad we went. If you are a brat and donāt like trying new things.. skip it. But we would go back every time. Thank you Zeerover!
Jennifer CarolloJennifer Carollo
10
Man oh man. If you have rental car for a day you should definitely plan driving to this place. This place is so awesome my family ended up eating here 3 separate times during our stay in Aruba. The food is relatively cheap comparing to the rest of the island. We spent $57, $75, $68 the 3 times my family of 4 were there. 2 adults and 2 teenage kids. The $75 was with all the side dishes. My kids would rather eat the delicious Jumbo shrimps than the side dishes so we didn't get any the next 2 times. As the ordering system, it's almost like a fast food place where you walk in, stand in line to order. Make sure to stop by early (5 pm the latest during low season). Otherwise you'd be waiting in a long while. It's not that the people working there are slow. It's due to their unique ordering system and tourists not familiar with how their menu works. I think it's speed things up a ton if they make those over the head advertising board illustrating how people should order while standing in line. Back to the food. We had king fish and shrimp 1 night. 2 other nights were both mahi mahi with shrimp. All meats are fried then sprinkled with seasonings. The shrimps were deep fried to perfection. My family doesn't mind sucking the heads typically and we certainly did that here. We wanted to try barracuda but I guess we chose the wrong season as none of the restaurants on the island had that. The corn bread is very interesting. It reminds me of slightly soggy pancake. I liked them but my family didn't. Another side dish was pickled onion. It's less sweet than what I would prefer. Fries are just regular slightly thicker version of fries. Nothing special. If you want some carbs, id recommend fries over the corn bread. You should be going here for the seafood anyway; just eat a ton of the shrimps and fish, you'd be thinking about this place for the rest of your trip!
Alex WangAlex Wang
10
Zeerover came very highly recommended to us by locals at a resort where we were staying. We paid a good amount of money for a taxi to visit this establishment. Upon entering there wasn't a line which the taxi driver said was our sheer "luck". We walked up to the window to order. There was a lady standing there and staff walking back and forth. Noone acknowledged our presence or even looked our direction for quite some time. When I tried to get the lady's attention to make sure we were in the right area to order she waved me off like I was some dog or something and walked away. I would've left right then and there but my family really wanted to try this place as it came so highly recommended so we persevered. Finally, someone else came up to take our order. They gave us a number and we sat by the ocean at a table with a beautiful view. This was the BEST part of the visit by far! We ordered four whole fish and two pounds of shrimp. It took quite a while to come but it's cooked fresh so I'll give them that. When the food finally arrived I honestly wasn't blown away by it. It was fresh caught and you could taste that but I wished there had been more seasoning on the fish and shrimp to really help develop those fresh caught flavors. They brought out a hot sauce that had papaya in it and it was tasty and spicy, which helped the flavor of the food. The cost of the food was expensive and I didn't see the value for the price. They offer public restrooms and large sinks to wash your hands after dining. This is a local place with a great reputation so I don't want to deter anyone from visiting per se, but as for me and my house we won't be back mainly due to the customer service and cost to dine.
A-Team TravelsA-Team Travels
20
Definitely very disappointed in the food and in the other tourist that hyped this place up. It was not a surprised that some locals rejected this place. Service: was phenomenal in some areas and in some is lacking (read below). The gentleman at the front window explained how to order and our choices. Easy and fast payment. They brought the food over to our table in a timely manner. Enough seating. Right in front of the ocean. Great views. I donāt not recommend sitting near the area where they are cutting the fish because it smells super fishy. Atmosphere: casual and very laid back. Food: this was the disappointing part for my wife and I. The shrimp was seasoned and cooked with shell on, heads on, and not deveined. This was a problem in several ways: shrimp was too hot to peel right away, so you had to wait until it cooled down. Once able to peel, then you had to devein. We did not have the right tool for that. On top of that, we lost all of the seasoning when taking off the shells so basically we ate plain shrimp. They keep the head, shell, vein, etc. on to increase the weight of shrimp and to decrease labor on them (which I think is a lack of costumer service). Is it really worth a couple extra cents to a dollar to do this and have people complain? Next, their cornbread tasted funky (but that might just be how they make it). On a positive note, both the fish and the steak fish we had were good. The fried plantains were good too. The fries were okay. The best thing about this place was their tartar sauce (I would kill for it).
santiago betancursantiago betancur
00
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Nearby Restaurants Of Zeerover
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Reviews
Overview
4.6
(2.8K reviews)$
Phone
+297 584 8401
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