The Paddock (eet cafe the paddock)

tell us what you think. vote and/or write a comment.

The food is good but we normally go there more for the drinks and fun. A good place to meet people. Good for lunch.

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dixie luvs aruba

Aruba September 7 - 14, 2014

Woohoo!!!!!!

ok...I might get feed back from my comments...but my first visit to the Paddock (after passing it for years and years) was just this past May. Eveyone has said how wonderful their ribs were and we should go for their Wed. Evening All you Can Eat Ribs for $10.00.

Got there around 6ish and there was us and another couple walking in the door...well they got the last table so we waited at the bar (not for very long) and actually got our choice of tables once inside the dining room. I chose one at the rail with a nice water view. Got our beers...ordered...tried order more beers, again tried to order more beers and then tried to order more beers. We couldn't get a drink to save our lives. I finally asked another waiter walking by and he appologized and said OK right away...well we never got them either. By this time our ribs came out and I asked the waiter for some hot sauce and he told me what kind they had and said he'd be right out...also asked again for our beer. Well you guys guessed it...NO hot sauce and NO beer AGAIN! Mind you the only thing we've had to drink was the beer at the bar while waiting for our table. I finally flagged down this nice waitress and gave her my tale of woe...and 2 minutes later we got beer and hot sauce. OK now to the Ribs...yes they were dripping with sauce but had NO flavor what so ever. I couldn't even tell you what it was...a hint of something...but nothing!! Just a rib! They have such a good reputation as far as ribs go and I know every restaurant has their off nights...but I'll never get hubby back to this joint.

IMO I think what went wrong was they tried to stretch out their batch of BBQ sauce and diluted it too much(with something)...cause when I say NO taste, I mean NO taste!

OMG forgot to tell you guys the best thing...our wonderful view ended up with my husband having to see 2 guys fishing off the dock, scaling the fish right there while the others wiggled around on the dock with rats running toward them from behind the huts where they sell things. (my back was to that view thank god)

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"These are a few of my favorite things"
...Elisa

I didn't vote cause we've never eaten there yet. The guys usually drink there while we shop, then we join them for beverages & have dinner at Don Carlos. But its a nice place & seems to be lots of fun there......the margartitas are good!

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We ARUBA!!
January 12, 2011
CAN'T WAIT!!!!

we are paddock addicts. there is no doubt about this. never does a trip go by without at least one dinner there. rib night is a great night. all you can eat ribs with a salad and potato of your choice for $10 and with the visit aruba card you get a t-shirt for every $20 spent. their pork tenderloin, which they feature on occasion is the best i have ever eaten. murray is crazy for their sate platter.

I'll make sure we go shopping twice (it will be hard) so we can eat once at the Paddock too!!! I'll have to get the card now too. The tenderlion sounds good--something that we'd all like! Then I can go to the casino across the street twice & give them whatever money I don't spend shopping!!!!!! Thanks for the advice!

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We ARUBA!!
January 12, 2011
CAN'T WAIT!!!!

if it's the tenderloin you want, ask if they have it that night. it is soooooo good.

We always love the food here and agree that it is very reasonable, however, we haven't been going lately because the service has always been really poor. I'm sure we'll go again one day, when we have a LOT of time to kill and don't mind waiting awhile for our food.

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-Amy B.
www.inaruba.homestead.com

These are my personal observations and opinions.

We have mixed feelings. The food was good and they made a vegetarian plate for one of our party. They also had genever (dutch gin) which I love.

There were only two tables ocupied, a party of two and out party of 4. It took 10 minutes for the waitress to appear to take either a drink or meal order. When we were through, we had to ask for the check and then waited 35 minutes for the check to be brought out to us.

If the service, on the day we went, were as good as the food and drink, then I would give this a better review.

Your own experiences may be different than mine.

Enjoy,
Bob

I dont know about the ribs because I have never had them. We go there for the pork sate' with peanut sauce. It is the best i've ever had anywhere. The service is not fast and we know it, but still want the sate'. We just make sure were not in any hurry when we go there. We have found the service in many restaurants there to be very slow. It's the same in europe. We never get in a hurry when we go out to eat in aruba because that would just frustrate us. We decide to have a nice conversation and relax and enjoy our company instead. No reason to be in a hurry when were in Aruba.

The all-u-can eat ribs on Wednesday's is now $13.00 (it was $10.00).

and still worth it. it is delish and murray agrees with bob about the sate.

Sure is worth it. Pretty good meal for $13.00.

Always one of our favorite places! It is extremely reasonable and the food
is nice and simple. My husband says their fresh fish dinners (specials) are
just as good as those at the fish restaurants. And where else in Aruba can you get a real old-fashioned and wonderful American cheesburger platter?

(Yeah, service can be slow
sometimes but the view and ambience are wonderful. Where could you possibly need to rush off to anyway??)

We were just in Aruba last week and the big news is that NOW the Paddock
is open for breakfast every day from 9 to 11. It is a limited menu but their
gouda cheese omelets are the best -- very puffy, moist and utterly delicious.

oh janine, you have made breakfast an even tougher choice now! we love the paddock.

Went on Weds night for their rib special....good meal for the price!!! Their drinks are good too! got a free T shirt with the Visit Aruba + card!

We decided to give this place a try as we have heard (read) a lot about it. Service was so slow (actually non-existent) we finally, after more than 30 minutes, got up and left. So we never did find out if it was good or bad.
Bill & Donna
Mar 2006

I didn't vote because I couldn't decide how to rate it. Service is always poor, to say the least. Food is average to good. Rib nite is a good value but ribs do not compare to King's. I have enjoyed the pork tenderloin, but unfortunately have only been able to get it twice. I do think the sate is good and my sister says the hamburgers are good. Love their ice tea, just have a hard time getting glasses refilled. Just a thought - would it be possible to have 2 ratings in the polls - one for service and one for food?

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Love those beaches:

Aruba in November - 3 weeks

mar, not a bad idea. all i have to do is figure out how to do it and find the time. i may experiment a little so if some of you see a wacky post in here some time next week...it will be me.

ALWAYS FIND TIME TO MAKE AT LEAST ONE (1) WEDNESDAY NIGHT
DINNER AT THE PADDOCK. LOVE THE RIBS BUT, SERVICE LEAVES SOMETHING TO BE DESIRED.

We were there for lunch. It wasn't crowded so the service was good. We had some kind of sandwich -- brie was involved, on a baguette. It was wonderful.

Always liked The Paddock for lunch.

Never tried it at any other time.

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we did our yearly tradition last night of rib night at the paddock. over the years it has raised to the gigantically expensive price of $13. i would rate it a 9. their ribs are tender and tasty and their drinks are excellent. the special was a peach tree which i have never tasted before and it was a perfect frozen drink. their service is always a little slow getting started but it has really improved since last year and it didn't take 5 minutes for the second round of ribs to show up at the table.

Last Wednesday night was rib night....all you can eat, still for $13.....great deal and great food!

there is so much bad in the best of us and so much good in the worst of us thst it hardly behoves any of us to talk about the rest of us. Remy-Jan and I will be there in a couple of weeks. LARRY

larry, i have a simple question. huh???? this is a section to review restaurants. what in the world did this comment mean?

I agree with all the posts as the service is always suspect.....BUT I love their pork and chicken sate and make the sacrifice of time for the food.

Remilk.......in Aruba and most ALL European countries, you have to ask for the bill, it is considered EXTREMELY rude to drop a bill on a table without it being asked for there and in Aruba......it implies that you are being rushed out of the restaurant in favor of turning over tables for more business.......something that gets on my nerves in the USA, especially when the bill is placed on my table 3 mins after getting my entree.....it's so in your face rude to me !!!! Just an FYI......but taking 35 mins to get the bill after it has been asked for is excessive, but a Paddock trademark....food is good, but the SERVICE is horrendously slow at best.

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Some people get lost in thought because it's unfamiliar territory.

All three Wednesdays in March, we were here for their all you can eat, $13/pp rib special and we love it....we get there at 5, watch the cruise ships pull out, and eat for 2 hours!!!! We also order their drink of the day, (either there is 4 or 6 of us) and they give, each week, a free tee shirt to us for having the visitaruba card.

What can I say? We always have GREAT service there, and we love their ribs and tee shirts!

We used to go every year for the ribs, sometimes a couple of times. I liked the ribs.
We found that if there were tables with a group at they got better/faster service than a table for two.
We have not been since there is new management. (If I remember correctly that was last year.)

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Eagle-Beach Boy
Ontario, Canada

Is this the Al fresco place downtown?.(if not sorry) If so, I voted "poor" for one reason....and I wished you had an N/A vote ,heres the story. (And I know it was an error).

Family just finished up the Atlantis Sub nextdoor, and a few from onboard thought that The Paddock would provide a quick lunch...maybe for them!. Well we go in order sodas and wait,few minutes and a waiter takes our order. Then after about 45 minutes of watching people eat and leave a different waiter comes over and asks if we were "..ready to order?".
Sooo we got shafted, they did however cover our sodas and we left.

Will never go again - service was sooooo poor that I couldn't get a second drink and the food took so long it was ridiculous.

I LOVE IT!
The French Onion Soup is a must when I first get there!
Our service has always been fine throughout the years!
Pinkie

Did anyone ever consider the poor service might just be "selective?" Seems the locals and Dutch get quick service and "others" don't. Just a thought. Might be their way of trying to keep the place open for locals.
Bill

We go to the Paddock every trip and are not locals but we always receive good service. I don't think they are looking to exclude tourists.

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dixie luvs aruba

Aruba September 7 - 14, 2014

Woohoo!!!!!!

Oh I don't think so either.
We have always had good friendly fast service, and we love going there!
I think the Paddock is lots of fun.

i actually think it depends on the phases of the moon, lol. honestly, i have had some of the best service there and on other occasions some of the worst. but i can also say that about madame j's. most time i ever spent waiting for a check was our first visit there. 45 minutes and asked several times. we finally stood up as if we were leaving and said something like, 'the meal must be free since they refuse to give us a bill'. it got a waiter motivated, lol.

we went for our yearly trip to the paddock. This time on the non ribs night. I got the mixed grill which was surprisingly good and murray got the nasi goreng. With 3 drinks the total was $40 plus tip. I would rate the meal at least an 8. btw, now Sunday nights are all you can eat hamburger nights for $10.

it's funny that the last post on this thread was also by me and a nice compliment to the paddock. this one won't be. we have been going to paddock at least once every trip to aruba for many years. it may be the last trip.

it was a group of 12 of us. all the adults ordered ribs except for murray who ordered his sate platter as usual. he looks forward to that every trip. according to murray it was barely edible. my ribs were the 'spicy' ribs. first, they weren't spicy. second they had as much fat as they had meat. third they had none of that cooked on the grill flavor that ribs always have. i didn't finish my rack. i also tried a few of the barbecued ribs to see if they were better. they tasted exactly the same. the seasoning was identical. i never asked the others how they liked their food but not very many ordered extra ribs.

ironically, the service usually is terrible and one couple in this group had been there last week and it was it's standard horrid. thru the entire meal last night the service was excellent.

We have found the Paddock very hit and miss over the years. Too many other places that are always good.

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Eagle-Beach Boy
Ontario, Canada

As far as I know the Paddock is Dutch, but it isn't related to the Dutch Paddock.
Anyways, in 2002 we'd like to eat at Paddock and the meals were good. I'll definitly give it a try again this year.

I hate to hear that. I also look forward to the pork sate' at the Paddock. I have never been concerned about speedy service anywhere, but food quality is a must. I hope this was just a bad day at the grill.

i totally agree bob. you and i have seen eye to eye on almost every restaurant. i hope you have a better meal there than we did. it broke my heart to write that review. you know how much we have always liked the place.

Oh my gosh.....
The Paddock always used to be a must for us.......but NEVER AGAIN!
Our last visit it was horrid. Service and food was very poor.
We won't go back.

We actually visited twice this year & both meals were very good. On Sundays they have all you can eat burgers & they have the all you can eat ribs on Saturdays & Wednesdays. Ribs were delish & beers were always cold. Great prices & always friendly service.

Every time we visit this Island the first stop is the Paddock. I don't know why. Maybe its location. They have the best coctails over there.
And a positive thing for us. We can pay in Euro's over there.
(The Paddock is also the place when we wait for our flight back home.)

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