Disgustin' Justin

How do you review the island of #Anguilla without beginning at the Sunshine Shack? It remains over the years, my absolute favorite place to go whenever I’m there. Between its ultra-casual, no-frills style; the perfectly-flavored, to-the-point food; the genuine, family-feel service; and its hideaway shoreside location - a trip to #RainbowCity would definitely be incomplete without a visit.

To your surprise, I won’t highlight the buttery lobster or the fall-off-the-bone BBQ ribs though. Nor would I spotlight the sweet zing of its signature rum punch or coleslaw (I love coleslaw!). I would even steer away from its impressive choice of true Caribbean-International vibe live entertainment.

Instead I want to talk about my darling Kami, a waitress there who definitely left a lasting impression and elevated all the things aforementioned. She was cool and cute, when she approached me, but had a subtle sass about her that made her a fun, intriguing conversationalist. Let’s also talk about ‘Disgustin'

Justin’ who fought with Kami on who should serve my table. He was definitely the life of the beach (party) and added humor, pep and jest to his every step while serving. He was born for that. LOL!

And then there’s the blatant charm of Garvey, the restaurant’s owner, who makes it his business to depart from the burning passion behind his grill to meet and greet his customers and circle around to ensure their enjoyment.

Let’s face it. Nowadays just about anyone can ‘knock-up’ a wooden beach shack, paint it ice, green and gold, hang a few random flags in the ceiling, turn on some Bob Marley, and get a BBQ grill fired up. So for me, it’s the people that would make all the difference. That’s where the true island soul lies - not in the clichés & gimmicks - but in the warmth, friendliness, attention, care and of course some saucy wit and laughs of the people who tend to it.

Be sure to pick up a marker at the bar and sign your autograph on the walls of the shack before you leave, because the Sunshine’s team sure knows how to make every guest feel like a celebrity.

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