Alfie's In Aruba — Restaurant in Oranjestad (city)

NOTICE: Before we go any further, take note if you want to dine at Alfie’s you MUST make a reservation. You are given 1:45 at your table, no lingering as they like to serve as many people as possible. I know that sounds crazy but it’s true, even though Alfie’s is nothing more than a local joint small neighborhood bar. Alfie’s is a neighborhood joint meant for locals not tourists. That doesn’t mean they don’t want or welcome tourists. They do. We were greeted by a friendly young man at the door. He informed us that our table was still occupied but the customers there only had another 10 minutes and their time would be up. Promptly 10 minutes later we were seated. Everyone at Alfie’s is always smiling and saying hi. Both customers and employees alike. Alfie’s is a “Hockey” bar as the owners are originally from Canada. The story is on the back of the menu and interesting. Being from Boston I did take notice of several pieces of Bruins memorabilia around the place. Once we were seated we were promptly met with our server to take our orders. Drinks came promptly and food was a little wait but not that long considering the place was packed and the food was coming out of the kitchen all the time. ( I sat next to the kitchen door but no matter this is a local watering hole not the Ritz). Alfie’s serves pub grub, so I decided to try the ribs. When they came out they looked good. Lathered in BBQ sauce with corn on the cob and fries. This is where the air started coming out of my ballon. These were the worst ribs I’ve ever had. They didn’t taste bad but that’s the issue, there was no taste. They ribs were tasteless, the sauce was tasteless. I really wanted to like them but I just couldn’t. Now in fairness to Alfie’s my wife had ribs too and thought they were ok( not great but not bad). My two friends liked their meals ( burger & BLT Wrap). I loved their atmosphere, drinks, service and live entertainment. So on my next visit to Aruba I will try Alfie’s again and hope I can give them 5...

okay, so we went to Alfie's with no expectations on quality, service or good vibes. However, this place rocks! The food was amazing. The service was about as friendly and personalized as you can get. The energy there was ideal for any person(s) visiting, or living, in Aruba. I had the Alfie's burger and their onion rings. Awesome deliciousness. That was about the best burger I have had in a very long time... and I live in NYC. We have endless burger options up here. But whatever Peter, one of the two owners- Amal being the other owner, puts into his burgers, or where he gets the ingredients, they were delicious. I paired my meal with a Mango beer (local favorite). Did not try the poutine. That will be my next visit.

Amal was welcoming from the get go. When we walked in, she was there to greet us and seated us by a large party of Canadian tourists (did I mention that this is a Canadian owned biz?). There was an openness and relaxed vibe which allowed for easy conversation between multiple tables. Everyone was friendly and Amal helped to engage multiple customers. It was a very social atmosphere. Decor is like walking into a Canadian pub. Maple leaves (leafs?) all around. Lots of wood. Music and sports memorabilia lined the walls. Did I mention that the proprietors have a personal interest in the music biz? They also have an open mic night, which we were unable to attend. I hear it is rocking' though. You might want to check it out. It is NOT karaoke though so messy singers need not apply. Go for the talent.

I can go on and on... that was how much we liked it. However, I strongly suggest you check it out for yourselves. You also might want to call ahead because they get lines out the door on many a night.

I know on my next trip down to Aruba, I am going to Alfie's again. Not many businesses make you feel as good and welcome as we did there. Also, prices are reasonable for the amount of food served and quality of portions. I hope this review helps you in your dining...

I want to preface this by stating we did not eat here… Because we walked out after waiting 40mins. As a Canadian I was super excited to see there was a place that served Poutine in Aruba. My sister and I arrived at 9:13 fully prepared to not be seated as we didn’t have reservations. When we arrived the host informed us it would be a 30min wait for a table we said no worries we’ll do take out in which he responded ecstatically. We ordered a chicken wrap and a classic poutine. Since there were no seats we stood by the stage. We paid in cash and tipped.20 mins go by, 30mins go by, 40mins go by and we notice for a packed house only 2 meals have come out the kitchen and patrons who were seated before we ordered will haven’t gotten their food. The host/server who took our food has been standing at the bar with his back towards us never turning around once for 40mins. I go around and ask how much longer for the food in which he responds “I guess I can check”.. proceeds to come back and say “maybe 20 more mins”. 1 hr for a wrap and fries from a bar is unacceptable, ignoring someone who not only paid but tipped you for just putting in an order is unacceptable, never offering a seat when two tables became available during our wait and individuals from outside came in and immediately sat down (didn’t have reservations) is unacceptable. It appears the need for reservations 10 days in advance is not due to this place popularity but the extreme slow table turnaround. Needless to say we left...