Appropriately located in Ports of Call, Calico Jacks Bar & Restaurant purports a long legacy of serving up a steady menu of good food, friendly and attentive service and great prices in a relaxed and festive atmosphere. Named after the legendary and notorious pirate John Rackham, who led a very short, though 
scandalous career during the eighteenth century, Calico Jack was remembered more for his liaisons with the infamous female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, and his ‘flashy’ wardrobe preferences than for his brief though ruthless acts of piracy. It is also rumoured that the three villainous pirates sought refuge in the Turks & Caicos Islands on the island of Pirate Cay. Internationally recognised and known today as Parrot Cay, it is still a popular refuge, but of a completely different sort!
Arriving at the colourful and whimsical bar, the nefarious swashbuckler, Calico Jack would have well been pleased with his namesake. Serving a lively crowd, bright painted walls of banana leaves, dangling fishnets and of course, the trademark treasure chest brimming over with untold riches evokes images of an outrageous by-gone era. Rustic décor is befitting of the expansive outdoor dining area where Tiki torches and fairy lights illuminate the deck under a canopy of stars. Plank-style tables and nautical accents create an animated and buoyant atmosphere with indoor dining also available.
Their menu of ample dinner suggestions compliments a mouth-watering selection of blackboard specials all prepared by Chef Jimmy Sullivan. For starters, a must-try is their world-famous conch. Once ordered, just sit back, relax and listen for the unmistakable sound the kitchen emits as the conch is pounded into tender, tasty morsels, served spicy or mild marinated in conch salad, delectable deep-fried conch fritters or as a thick, rich and delicious Caicos chowder. Other seafood starters include grouper fish fingers, breaded shrimp and breaded calamari rings. Their Jamaican jerk wings are jumbo.
On our never ending quest to find the perfect Caesar… Calico Jacks serves up an incredibly creamy version. My fellow dinner companion remarked of her Caesar, “The garlic has arrived!” Greek and garden salads are made fresh, and for those hot, sultry nights enjoy refreshingly cold gazpacho soup.
The portions are generous, so come with an appetite! Choosing a combination of the evenings specials and selections from the regular menu, our server Leanne, cheerful and accommodating, served up a virtual feast.
Pasta Dishes are served with homemade bread and include that incredibly creamy Caesar salad. The linguine shrimp alfredo was an evening special, with plump, juicy shrimp perfectly prepared with the pasta cooked al dente, soft, but still firm to the bite. Spaghetti carbonara, linguine chicken alfredo, linguine pesto, penne & conch in a tomato-vodka cream sauce, penne with tiger shrimp, spaghetti marina and every kid’s favourite, spaghetti and meatballs are all available on the menu. Monday nights have made Calico Jacks the place to be for their famous All-You-Can-Eat Pasta, which includes a starter salad and fresh bread.
Main courses are served with your choice of the island’s traditional side, peas ‘n rice and coleslaw, or with a side of spaghetti in garlic butter and side salad. Veal is prepared in a rich and delicious mushroom sauce, or the classic, veal parmesan, breaded and smothered with melted cheese and tomato sauce served on a bed of pasta. Succulent and tender, the veal cutlet was enormous and literally hung over the plate! From the sea, grilled grouper, mahi mahi in almond butter and lobster, when in season. Pork chops are jerked or breaded, and for the meat and potato aficionado, an 8 oz. rib eye grilled to perfection. The jerked grouper, an evening special, was delicate and flaky, and packed a fiery punch!
A legend of sorts reputes that Calico Jacks makes one of the best burgers on island. Always up for a challenge, especially of the culinary variety, I had already decided that the Giant Pirate Burger would be my grub for the evening. The menu calls it an 8 oz. Black Angus treasure-loaded feast! I was not to be disappointed! This is no myth - grilled and seasoned to perfection, topped with sautéed onions and crispy bacon, melted cheese, fresh tomatoes and lettuce and more slices of red onions on a toasted roll, my fellow diners were intrigued to observe as the height of my two-fisted Pirate Burger demanded a certain ability to unlock one’s jaw! Finger-licking good, the juiciness simply oozed through my fingers. I definitely recommend this one! For the spicy crowd, they offer a Caribbean jerk burger or a grilled jerk chicken sandwich, plus a grilled grouper sandwich. “You don’t have to be a Rasta” to enjoy their Rasta vegetarian burger, or the always popular, homemade thin crust pizza with your choice of a variety of delicious toppings. As you can see, Calico Jacks offers something guaranteed to satisfy everyone in your crew.
Make sure you have left room for dessert. The Key lime pie is to die for! Indigenous to the Florida Keys, Key limes impart an incredible flavour and an unmistakable yellowish colour noticeably different from their green counterparts. In fact, Key limes actually grow in some parts of the Turks and Caicos Islands, but are not cultivated. Tangy, creamy, sweet and smooth this slice of heaven was smothered in whipped cream. A delicate chocolate drizzle provided a lovely enhancement to the zesty lime flavours. Rich and creamy homemade ice creams are also available in tempting and exotic flavours like pina colada, roasted almond amaretto and classic strawberry, just to name a few.
Although the legend of Calico Jack and his barbaric acts of piracy ended with the rope… his legacy along with his fascinating and intriguing history lives on here in the Turks and Caicos Islands. So, gather your mates and head on up to Calico Jacks for an evening of abundant food and bountiful good times!
By Mandy Rostance-Wolf
Reprinted from "Where When How - Turks & Caicos Islands"
July/August 2006
Back
to Restaurant
Menu
Drink Recipe/Bartender of the Month
