Matthew's beachside restaurant — Restaurant in Oranjestad (city)

I have being coming here since Matthew’s first opened and have always had excellent service and fantastic food. Although pricey, Matthew’s was always worth it.

However, something has changed. Tonight we had a miserable server. No personality at all and quite snobby. And the food was terrible!! I ordered the same dish I’ve been ordering for years and it was dry and cold. It was prepared differently than in the past and it simply had zero flavor. The menu indicates that truffle mashed potatoes came with my dish which is one of the main attractions to this menu item. When the dish came out there was barely a tablespoon of plain mashed potatoes.

Then we ordered coffee. Coffee used to come in big white mugs and was some of the best brewed coffee on the island. This time it was a small cup of that single-serve instant machine stuff. It was disgusting.

I mentioned all of this to the server and she just said, “oh I’m sorry you didn’t like your food and we don’t have truffle potatoes anymore; the menu is wrong.” Others in my party were equally disappointed and dissatisfied, but I will let them leave their own reviews.

Not that I was looking for any freebies, but I am surprised that the server didn’t offer a free dessert or something to make up for our issues. We stay right at the Aruba Beach Club. This is our first night of a 15 day vacation. We planned on eating many many meals here as we usually do, but now we will never return. Everyone can have an off night, but it was the attitude of our server and her not caring about our experience that really put the final nail in the coffin. And for the prices? It is NOT worth taking another chance.

SAD AND DISAPPOINTED This place used to be such a gem. We’ll stick to Ricardo’s for our local “go-to.”

UPDATE: came back after a 3+ years sabbatical and the food is still terrible and the service even worse. Calamari was cold and rubbery and fishy. Caprese salad was warm and wilted. Had to keep asking server for a menu and then had to keep asking...

We came here (party of 4) because it was near our resort (Costa Linda). It was a Tuesday night and we had high hopes. Upon walking to the restaurant from the parking lot, we were displeased to see that there wasn't much beach view because the water was literally almost up to the restaurant. I feel bad for anyone who stays at this resort, they get no beach!

Anyway, the restaurant was crowded and our table was tight between two others. There was also a party of 20 seated in the center, and they were unbearably loud and obnoxious. We received water and menus, and when we were ready to order, there was no waiter to be found. We waited a good 15 minutes. Meanwhile, a party of 4 was seated after us, and was already being waited on. Not to mention the man seated behind me kept hitting my chair with his. We finally flagged down a manager who got us a waiter.

The food, after waiting what seemed like forever while watching others promptly receive theirs, was disgusting. I ordered a grilled chicken Caesar salad with a side of white rice. The greens were fine, but the chicken was cold, clearly not freshly grilled, and had a strange texture to it. Some of my rice was not even cooked. I took a bite and nearly cracked a tooth because it was still hard! My boyfriend ordered the chicken cordon bleu, which came with burnt cheese and overcooked chicken. The other two in our party were also displeased with their meals. None of us could finish our meals, and we got out of there as fast as...

Matthew's is right on the water, with great views of the sunset. Most of the restaurant is under a giant "chickee" hut in sort of an outdoor indoor setup. I noticed that at a slot of the restaurants down here, like Barefoot, and the combination of breeze and crashing surf is nice.

On Tuesdays, they offer all you can eat ribs. They bring out two racks of fall off the bone deliciousness, covered with a sweet and tangy sauce. They're great! Subsequent servings are single racks. Portions are generous enough that you could probably get a 2nd round, but I didn't see anyone get a third. Regardless, at USD $23 a head, you can't beat it!

Their signature caipirinha is served in a copper mug like a Moscow Mule. Presentation was good with a lime flag, but the cocktail was mediocre. All I could taste was lime; if there was any sugar or Cachaça in there it was completely overpowered. I didn't try any of the other cocktails but they did sound tasty.

Finally the creme brulee was tasty as anyone who likes it would expect. The custard was a bit runnier than I'd have liked, but the caramel crust was amazing.

There are tons of great options on the island and this restaurant is worth the trip even if you're in the high-rise section; the price of the ribs special is...