Your stomach growls as you look out from Cracker P’s front deck with a Shotgun in your hand. (Relax. It’s what they call the house rum punch.) You take in the panoramic view after a long morning of snorkeling at the Tilloo Cay sandbar across the way. Just as you get up to say something, owner Patrick Stewart brings out a catch-of-the-day fish burger on freshly baked bread. Your stomach is still growling, and now you’re salivating too.
When I went to build the bar, I just took a really big ladder and got up as high as I thought it would take to get the best view. We’re about 15 feet off the ground for the main part of the bar. Had to go for the view. If you’re on a yacht, you’re probably anchored at Tahiti Beach, about a quarter of a mile away. When you pull up to the dock [in your tender], you’ll see our little beach here, the coconut trees and the island’s uniquely luscious forest. When you walk up to the bar, you’ll notice everything is very wide open. The windows are basically Plexiglas shutters that go up on sticks. You’re sitting up high, and there’s a deck out front that’s a half step down.
When people walk up here for the first time, they look outside and go, ‘Wow,’ which makes you feel good. We’ve got about 60 rums. Our big special drink these days is the frozen mojito and, of course, the Shotgun. We also have local Bahamian beer on draft. There’s somebody in here almost every week. Rickie Fowler was here last summer. I had dinner with Jim Kelly about a month ago. They like it in here. Nobody notices them. I had Joe Montana here with his family about five years ago. Usually they’re in shorts and shirts. I served Leonardo DiCaprio lunch, and I didn’t even notice it was him until I saw someone taking a picture with him in town the next day.
LUBBERS QUARTERS CAY
1. The View
If you look toward the Sea of Abaco, it almost looks like a lake. It can feel enclosed, but you can see the ocean through the cut.
2. Full Moon
Every month, Cracker P’s has an all-you-can-eat buffet, DJ, bonfire and, sometimes, acoustic music through dinner.
3. The Name
The Stewarts named Cracker P’s after a hermit who lived on the island from 1910 to 1954. His local nickname was Cracker Pender.
