D' Coal Pot Restaurant - Apple Bay

I consider myself truly lucky to live less than 5 minutes from this little gem. Owner & chef Evelyn Wong Dawson is not just a talented chef but she's also a very motivated go getter.

In the face of many obstacles and seemingly endless delays, this intrepid little dynamo dealt with one problem after another, until her dream of owning her own restaurant finally became a reality. On October 29, 2013, she opened her doors for business ... and there has been no stopping her ever since.

Evelyn is originally from Guyana but has lived in the BVI for a long time. She brought with her many of her favourite recipes from home and I have to tell you that her rotis are delicious. I never know what I am going to order when I get there ... but it's usually a roti or BBQ ribs or a jerk Rib Eye Steak. They are all terrific. I love her cole slaw too and wish she would add it to the menu as a larger side dish.

Don't let the appearance of this humble little restaurant fool you. It is a diamond in the rough and Evelyn has done a lot to make it look as good as it possibly can. The building and location may not be very appealing ... but the food and service certainly are.

She has built a lovely little outdoor garden area with colourful tables and umbrellas, enhanced by a couple of little fountains. To pay homage to her Guyanese roots and the name of the restaurant, a small coal pot sits against the far wall, in front of the mural. In Guyana, few people had electric or gas stoves back in the day ... so most used a coal pot, not unlike the one in the photo below.

Just about everything on the menu is excellent and relatively well priced by Tortola standards. The service is very friendly and usually pretty quick ... though they could do with a full time bartender. Evelyn's rotis and BBQ ribs are wonderful.