The Tia Rosa Snack Truck is located just south of the Pos Chikito circle in Aruba. It used to be in another location, but moved last year. Many people stop here for the pastiche and other local snacks. Here’s a photo of the joint.
Don’t be fooled by this photo, which I took on Sunday when the place is closed. They open early, at 4AM for those of us who stay out all night in San Nicolaas, and do a steady trade through most of the day. You’ll frequently see a line here. But, it’s worth the wait. I pop in for an ice-cold Coca-Cola or something small when the mood strikes.
Bon dia from Aruba.
I set it up in the little courtyard outside my house. I’ll be adding some seating, a table, a few tiki lights and be ready to go. Nothing like cooking over a flame. Takes you right back to caveman days and tastes good, too.
Quite nice with those tensile fabrics overhead. And here is the bar.
They also offer the option of “eating in bed” but that’s not my thing so there is no photo here. Instead, let’s talk about the food. My wife started with the escargot, which she reports as very good. My friend began with calamari sauteed instead of fried. It was an interesting twist and tasty. I went with a plain old shrimp cocktail that met all expectations. Then came the entrees. My wife went with the grilled scallops shown here.
My friend’s wife choose the garlic shrimp, seen below.
My friend selected the red snapper filet.
Finally, I choose the broiled veal chop.
That was one delicious piece of meat, broiled to perfection with a flavorful sauce that did not overpower the natural essence of the underlying chop.
You go inside where you tell the nice lady behind the bar that you would like the Sunday BBQ. You pay her and get a ticket like the one in the photo here.
This ticket you take outside, past the smokers which are doing a great job of cooking up those chickens and ribs as you can see here.
That guy there swings a Chinese cleaver the way Paul Bunyan swung and ax. He whacks a rack of ribs into three parts, a half chicken into four more and then puts them atop a pile of fried rice and cole slaw. A small piece of corn on the cob is added for color and good effect. At this point, most people tote their meal home for a feast. I prefer to dine at such establishments as the characters who appear are nothing short of incredible. Thus, I trot back into the bar, ask for utensils, and proceed to mow down everything you see here.
That’s right, all that food (1/2 a chicken, rack of ribs, about 3 cups of fried rice, 1/2 cup cole slaw and corn on the cob) cost 15 florins, call it an eight and a half dollar bill. Beverages are extra. I enjoy this kind of meal once in a while, especially in this setting. No franchise uniforms, no pre-programmed patter from the staff, no flavorless items found the world over. You’ll see various BBQ’s like this around Aruba, but each one is different. Give one a try; your heart surgeon will love you for it!
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