Interior View of Big Tree BBQ

Big Tree BBQ

Restaurant

👍👍 Best barbecue for the price on the island! Super friendly local chef runs food stand under a tree he planted 27 years ago in his front yard. Definitely worth the Stop and hopefully you have time to talk to Henry the owner, great man! People often mention ribs, Cayman, friendly, local, great, lunch, delicious, island, worth, chicken,


Address

8W65+6HF, Ridgefield Dr, Gun Bay, Cayman Islands

Contact

+1 345-938-8314

Rating on Google Maps

4.70
(705194 reviews)


Working Hours

  • Wednesday: 11 AM to 6 PM
  • Thursday: 11 AM to 6 PM
  • Friday: 11 AM to 6 PM
  • Saturday: 11 AM to 6 PM
  • Sunday: 11 AM to 6 PM
  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: 11 AM to 6 PM

Visitor Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: ribs (15) Cayman (14) friendly (11) local (10) great (10) lunch (10) delicious (10) island (9) worth (9) chicken (9)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Be P. 6 years ago on Google • 611 reviews
    Best barbecue for the price on the island! Super friendly local chef runs food stand under a tree he planted 27 years ago in his front yard. Definitely worth the Stop and hopefully you have time to talk to Henry the owner, great man!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rowena P. 2 years ago on Google • 78 reviews
    Gorgeous food, so tasty and great value for money too. Very friendly service and Bruno the dog was cute aswell. Will definitely eat here again before we leave. They also deliver to your accomodation.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Rose R. 6 years ago on Google • 65 reviews
    Quaint, cozy and DELISH! We had the shredded beef and baby back ribs plates, served with rice and beans and several other sides. The food was very good. Well worth the drive from Seven Mile Beach. Highly recommended.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Cynthia P. 2 years ago on Google • 66 reviews
    Delicious, casual dining in a quiet and relaxed atmosphere. We had a local plate with Cayman beef (melt in your mouth tender and fantastic flavor), red beans and rice, yucca, cole slaw, ripe plantain, and sweet bread. We also ordered whole fried snapper, which came crispy and well seasoned with all the same sides. The swanky is a very sweet drink you should definitely try. Order at the counter and sit under the big tree in the front yard to chow down.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Cameron C. 1 year ago on Google • 8 reviews
    Best meal we’ve had on the island by far…. It’s family owned and you’ll feel like family too by the time you leave. My only wish is that we discovered this place sooner! BEST ribs I’ve ever had! Support local Caymanians and check this spot out.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Meghan E. 2 years ago on Google
    While driving down the road we saw a man and his dog sitting on their front porch. They waved at us to pull in, so we did; boy was it worth it! The food was served hot and made fresh in-house every day. The owner was extremely kind and told us the history of his establishment that was given to him by his father. Big Tree is definitely the place to go for quality local Cayman food.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Angi D. 1 year ago on Google • 288 reviews
    We wanted authentic jerk chicken BBQ, and Big Tree BBQ delivered. The jerk chicken was amazing, as was the rice and peas...and the slaw...corn bread...everything was fantastic! Arvid, the owner, sat and chatted with us while we ate and gave us some history about his family in the area. Such a great guy. We will for sure visit Cayman Island, and this place again.

  • 5/5 Steven D. 1 year ago on Google • 205 reviews
    Delicious food and cold drinks, sitting at clean tables under the big shad tree. Arvid was a great host we enjoyed our lunch very much.

  • 5/5 Brian L. 11 months ago on Google • 140 reviews
    Some of the best Caribbean BBQ I’ve ever had. The wife had the BBQ chicken and I had the oxtail. Both were amazing. Rice and beans, coleslaw, and delicious spice bread. And Arvid - one of the owners - was really cool and friendly. And to top it all off - you get to eat your meal beneath a big, beautiful tree with dozens and dozens of branches. A must try.

  • 5/5 P W. 6 years ago on Google • 126 reviews
    Wonderful local spot on the east side of the island for lunch. We had the fried fish and baby back ribs, both were absolutely delicious. The fish was fresh and cooked nice and moist --seasoned very well too. The baby back ribs were tender and the bbq sauce was great (with a hint of rum we think!). The staff were super friendly and it was nice chatting with them. All around, a great place :)

  • 1/5 Jennifer V. 9 months ago on Google • 110 reviews
    Do not get the baby back ribs whatever you do!!!! They are dry and tough, and you will be sorely disappointed ..

  • 4/5 Placido Dos S. 1 year ago on Google • 96 reviews
    Two of is shared an order of lobster tails at lunchtime. The styrofoam box included two small lobster tails, a section of corn on the cob, rice with beans, fried bananas, and a piece of cake. All the sides were heated by microwave and were mediocre. But the lobster was delicious. For USD $31we thought the price was fair, considering we were on Grand Cayman where everything is expensive. We just wish the employee had shown us a smile or a even tiny bit of kindness. Instead the experience was nothing more than a transaction.

  • 5/5 amber 9 months ago on Google • 76 reviews
    Best damn BBQ on the island

  • 2/5 Joseph C. 2 months ago on Google • 71 reviews New
    Rice and beans were good. Jerk chicken was old and reheated in a microwave. We threw everything out.

  • 5/5 Christy G. 8 months ago on Google • 52 reviews
    When we go on vacation we always like to ask the locals what their favorite places to eat are. Big Tree BBQ was suggested by several of the people that we asked, and the food did not disappoint! As far as restaurants go, it may look a little unconventional to some, but we didn't mind at all. The food was amazingly good, and the portions were generous. The owner was very friendly and didn't mind chatting with my husband for a little while about gardening and such as he prepared our meals. We took our food to go so we could eat at the beach, but the large tree out front looked like it provided ample shade so you could easily eat on site if you wanted.

  • 5/5 JN M. 1 year ago on Google • 37 reviews
    Not far from The Blowholes on the eastern end of the island, Big Tree BBQ is a delicious local place to stop for genuine Cayman fare. It's all family owned and prepared and you can sit under the huge Neem tree in front to enjoy the fried plantains and spicy BBQ on tender caymen beef. Wonderful!

  • 5/5 Jeannette S. 9 months ago on Google • 30 reviews
    Oxtail was good and comes with sides. Large portion and friendly service. More of a takeout place but there are tables if you choose to stay.

  • 5/5 Candice L. 1 month ago on Google • 13 reviews New
    Fantastic place to stop and eat. Delicious ribs and jerk chicken. Friendly service!

  • 5/5 Hillary S. 2 years ago on Google • 10 reviews
    Drove from Seven Mile Beach area for lunch and it didn't disappoint! I had the oxtail and my husband had the spare ribs (baby back had just sold out) and both were incredible. The sides were also delicious. Had the swanky drink (lemonade/iced tea mixture) and it was very refreshing. Brought the cassava cake home for dessert and just had it...incredible! The owners were also very welcoming. Overall, worth the drive and wish I had time to go back before our trip is over!

  • 5/5 Bobby M. 9 months ago on Google • 10 reviews
    Best BBQ on the island! Absolutely amazing.

  • 5/5 Matthew B. 1 year ago on Google • 9 reviews
    I was driving from George Town over to the East End and happened to pass by. Stopped for lunch and I was certainly glad I did. I got the Cayman style beef, which was honestly some of the best BBQ I've had in quite a while. The food was great and the gentleman who runs it was incredibly friendly. Not sure when I'll next be able to visit Grand Cayman, but when I do, I'll definitely stop by again.

  • 5/5 Chris P. 10 months ago on Google • 8 reviews
    Incredible place, warm and friendly with fantastic food. Stopped by today with kids and they loved it. Highly recommend!

  • 5/5 edwin n. 4 months ago on Google • 6 reviews
    個 ox tail 和 conch 好味. 下次去試 lobster.

  • 5/5 Nicole D. 10 months ago on Google • 6 reviews
    {"0":"Amazing food, really cute area under the three for dining, SUPER friendly staff! Reasonable prices. We got the ribs, mahi and jerk chicken. All were amazing. So nice to have some authentic local Cayman food for a change! My 8 year old daughter loves ribs and gets them wherever we go- she said they were the best she\u2019s ever had! Make the trip for lunch it will be absolutely worth it!","2":["0","234"]}

  • 4/5 Michael F. 9 months ago on Google • 4 reviews
    Lovely quiet area. Service was great. Food was tasty but there was not much difference between here and other carribean food places that are a lot closer in SS/GT.

  • 5/5 Alex B. 1 year ago on Google
    There's nothing that's not worth eating here, everything is probably the best on the island. Other places say they got the best jerk chicken, nnooottt!!! This place has it, guaranteed. Beef ribs? To dye for! Hold them with 2 hands because they'll fall right off. Swanky lemonade? OMG We'll be back!!!

  • 5/5 Julia M. 2 years ago on Google
    Well worth the 40 minute drive! Loved everything we tried. The snapper was our favorite. Ribs were really delicious, we thought the pork was better but the beef ribs were a lot meatier and also very good. the jerk chicken was also great 👍

  • 5/5 Annie Bray H. 2 years ago on Google
    Wonderful spot for an authentic cayman meal! No frills, plastic trays on checkered tablecloths with very tasty BBQ chicken and spare ribs (not to mention maduros!). Would recommend the trek.

  • 5/5 Roxanne C. 2 years ago on Google
    Big Tree is a must eat place in East Cayman. The food is excellent, (beef ribs falling off the bone and mahi mahi exceptional) reasonably priced and Arvid was a gem to chat with. We felt at home, like he invited us over to have lunch and he is genuinely a nice respectful young man. We cannot wait to return to the island so we can go on a Sunday for the special menu items. We also loved Rocky, the dog who also joined us for lunch. We also learned there is delivery service but the trip to location is well worth the experience.

  • 5/5 Elizabeth H. 2 years ago on Google
    Wonderful spot for an authentic Cayman meal! Arvid was very friendly . The Swanky Iced tea was so delicious I had to take one to go!! A+++++++++

  • 5/5 Angela C. 2 years ago on Google
    Great BBQ on the island! You walk up and you're instantly hit with a huge smile - they are happy to see you, give you a lot of food and it is made and served with ❤️. We had ribs that were delish along with sides. Sitting under the big tree in the front yard is a treat - perfect setting for a relaxed lunch.

  • 5/5 Lydia N. 2 years ago on Google
    Big Tree BBQ was our last stop on our way to the airport and we wish we would have stopped there sooner. We had the Cayman Style Beef plate. It came with rice and beans, coleslaw, yucca, bread and a plantain. Everything was delicious.

  • 5/5 Michael C. 1 year ago on Google
    We had lunch at Big Tree BBQ today and had a great time. My wife and I shared a plate of Cayman Barbeque Beef with sides of rice and beans, slaw, plantains, breadfruit, and cinnamon cornbread (all that comes with the plate). The food was very good. Sitting under the two big trees was very relaxing. We also were able to talk with Mr. Harris who told us about Cayman history and current politics! We enjoyed our lunch very much! Very good local flavor.

  • 5/5 April P. 1 year ago on Google
    The food was DELICIOUS! We had short ribs that were prepared well ave the sauce... yummy! The lobster tails were excellent!!! A MUST visit when in the Cayman Islands 🇰🇾!! The swanky was also good. Loved the food, and I'll be back for sure on my next visit. We found this parrot 🦜 in the tree.

  • 5/5 Marcy G. 1 year ago on Google
    Great local food in an unexpected location. It's delicious and definitely worth trying.

  • 5/5 Lin 8 months ago on Google • 2 reviews
    We visit every other year and it’s our local go to. Owner is super friendly, everything we had was delicious, large portions, and lots of sides. Excellent value.


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