After spending six years together and working on the concept for the past year, Bryan and Bonny Tyrell moved to St. Maarten to open Bonita's Cantina. With fresh new ideas, Bonita's Cantina will deliver a simple idea for its guests:
Unpretentious food, hearty portions, stunning environment & value for money.
Bonita's Cantina, located in the former site of Ric's Place on Airport Road near the bridge at Simpson Bay, features a combination of Tex-Mex and BBQ. With its patio facing the Simpson Bay lagoon, guests will be able to dine while watching some of the largest yachts in the world anchored nearby.
Both Bryan and Bonny have a tremendous amount of experience in the restaurant business. Bryan is originally from the states and was a member of a two-time World Championship BBQ team. He then became Smokehouse Manager for Oklahoma Joe's in Kansas City, the second highest rated BBQ restaurant in the world, according to Zagat's Guide to Restaurants. From there he travelled to London, UK where he opened five BBQ restaurants in five and half years. His ribs were named "Best Ribs This Side of the Atlantic" by Time Out Publications and Bodean's was ranked one of the top 65 restaurants in the highly competitive restaurant field in London. Bonny worked her way from waitress to General Manager of Gaucho Grill, a high end Argentine Steakhouse, which generated £4.5 million in sales annually. She was the Lead Waitress on the Wait Staff of the Year and later was named Manager of the Year for the Group and later her branch was named Restaurant of the Year.
Comments & Discussions:
The night I arrived, the
The night I arrived, the place was deserted. A very pleasant waitress greeted me after a few awkward minutes, and I placed a to-go order of their signature ribs. After I arrived at my condo mere minutes later, I put the platter onto a plate and prepared to be blown away by the delicious rack of ribs, slaw,and fries.
What a disappointment. The ribs were very dry, so dry that they were like beef jerky. I had to steam them to even make them edible. They were smoky, actually very burnt, and had a nice flavor I guess, but I couldn't get past the terrible texture and all the carbon. We slow smoke ribs at home, and after reading the bio of this couple, I figured we'd be delighted. NOT. Ours are far better, and we're not experts with awards.
I may give this place another try and order something besides the ribs, to see if everything is the same, or what the story is here. What a shame, I wanted to love this place, but I didn't-not at all. The cole slaw was nice, fries were the cheap fake frozen type. Threw them away.
My husband and I, and
My husband and I, and another couple dined this past week at this lovely restaurant. The food was excellent. The restaurant is extremely clean. The enchiladas are wonderful, and the refried beans were the best I have ever had. The Bonita Cubana is an excellent sandwich choice also. I love the decor, and the whole place gives you a warm "homey" feeling, while having the added bonus of being served in view of the yacts on Simpson Bay! Bonny and Bryan are excellent hosts. I highly recommend this restaurant!
Sue & Shamus Blattner
Wisconsin, USA
3/21/2010