Sapodilly's - UNDER THE DILLY TREE

Years ago there was a dilly tree in Nassau that had all kinds of bottles hanging from it. It was said that the bottles kept the children from picking and eating the dillies. Well, in Abaco there is a place where you can dine and drink under the dilly trees and enjoy the great hospitality of Brenda Claridge at Sapodilly's Island Bar and Look Out. Brenda came to Marsh Harbour in 1992 and opened a gourmet store and light food restaurant called Sapodilly's. She then expanded two years later to having a bar and selling dinners. Persons stopped in to eat and drink at her place across the street from Harbour View Marina on Bay Street in Marsh Harbour.

Today Sapodilly's has changed and is on the upswing. Brenda has kept the laid back casual atmosphere of what Abaco is about and combined it with a beautiful natural setting, good food and live Bahamian music.

Sitting on the lower porch under a dilly tree talking to Brenda I could see how the persons were enjoying each other's company and their lunch.

Sapodilly's Island Bar and Lookout is on two levels. The lower deck has no awning and you literally dine under the dilly trees. The upper deck has awnings and holds more tables as well as a full service bar. Customers can seat themselves so that they can get a view of the harbour as they eat or drink.

There are several things which make Sapodilly's special. One is the personal interest Brenda takes in the food she serves. She says she has created most of the recipes, from coconut pan fried grouper to the Sapodilly Burger which is her most popular seller. It is a hamburger served on a fresh bun smothered with sautéed onions, mushrooms, Danish bleu cheese and topped off with piece of bacon. Brenda keeps graphs of what type of food is sold and she said the Sapodilly burger's graph just keeps going up and up. Brenda employs two cooks and six other persons.

She is open Monday thru Saturday. Lunch is served from 11:30am to 3pm and dinner from 6pm until 9pm. Sapodilly's usually remains open until the last customer leaves. When I asked her what her goal for Sapodilly's was she told me she wants "great ambiance, truly Bahamian food, a place where residents and tourists alike can come and listen to Bahamian music, indulge themselves totally in the Bahamian Abaconian experience in a casual laid back setting."

Brenda has also introduced menu items for the steak lover - steak in four sizes, 10, 12, 14 & 16oz. The steaks will be seasoned as the customer wishes. She also says she is the only one in Abaco that sells sandwiches made with Boar's Head deli meats, and Guiness draft in cans. Guiness on tap is a very popular drink in Britain.

As with every restaurant on the tourist strip Sapodilly's has a specialty drink called the Dilly Willy. It consists of Nassau Royale, 151 proof rum, grenadine and various fruit juices. Made by renowned bartender Archie Symonette who Brenda says is one of the top bartenders in the Bahamas.

Every day Brenda sees that there is a lunch special and a dinner special.

She is an enthusiastic business woman and community minded as well. She has worked for the past 5 years as the Abaco co-ordinator of the Great Abaco Triathlon and she is already planning the next Great Abaco Triathlon. Stop in and meet Brenda at Sapodilly's and experience her friendly hospitality and have lunch or dinner under the dilly trees.