4 Best Restaurants in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island

Offering French cuisine with a strong Bahamian influence, Merport Bistro is the spot in downtown Freeport for the local business crowd. Their weekly specials are worth checking out, and although the menu changes constantly, there is something for everyone, from wraps and sandwiches and a variety of soups, to seafood or chicken vol-au-vent, juicy stacked burgers or hearty steaks. There's not much else for the tourist crowd in the area, but it's definitely worth the drive into town.

Pier One has one of the most unique settings of any restaurant in Grand Bahama and two different menus to choose from: sushi or cooked continental fare. Built on stilts above the ocean near Freeport Harbour, it offers one-of-a-kind views of magnificent sunsets, larger-than-life cruise ships departing, and sharks swimming for chum. The sushi menu is both creative and extensive. Diners can eat inside or outside, but the large tables on the balcony offer the best views of the shark feedings, which happen every hour on the hour starting at 7 pm. For those who prefer their food cooked, the other menu includes grilled fish, vegetable pasta, steaks, and chicken.

Offering the healthiest food option on the island, this little shop (located in a shabby strip mall) doesn't look like much, but the quality of the food tells a different story. Livity blends up fresh fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies with names like Flu Shot, Pressure Reliever, and Incredible Hulk. Lunch includes daily specials such as chickpea stew, sautéed green beans, and mushrooms served on quinoa or wild rice, in addition to barbecued tofu and Rasta pasta. Fruit and vegetable salads, veggie fritters, soups, veggie burgers, and salmon burgers are staples on the menu.

This Mexican-themed party place fills with cruise-ship passengers in port for the day and sends them back to the boat happy, fed, and full of rum drinks. The location at the Freeport Harbour is open-air and full of life, complete with a dance stage, large flat-screen TVs, a wraparound bar, and seating for more than 100 people. The music is loud, the crowd is lively, especially around spring break months, and the Mexican menu has fun Bahamian and tropical twists. Watch out for waiters who run around blowing whistles and pouring tequila down your throat, and if your party endurance is ready for a challenge, try your luck at a musical chairs game that includes two shots with every circle.