If you’ve ever been out late in Aruba after having a few cocktails, you know there comes a point when one thing becomes very important: FOOD.
On this particular night, we were definitely feeling pretty good and decided to head out on a late-night food mission. We were staying around Palm Beach, so we figured finding something to eat would be easy.
We were wrong.
Our first stop was McDonald’s, or as I like to call it, Dirty Don’s. Closed.
Alright, no problem. Surely the Colonel would come through for us.
KFC… closed.
At this point we decided to get away from the usual tourist spots and try something local. We headed over to Ruiz Take Away, thinking this had to be the move.
Nope.
Closed again.
Now this simple late-night food run had officially turned into a mission.
BEL Smokehouse to the Rescue… Kind Of
Eventually, our journey brought us to BEL Smokehouse BBQ in Tanki Leendert.
There was just one small problem.
They were closed too.
At this point I was hungry enough that giving up wasn’t really an option. Luckily, there was a local guy there picking up his order.
So I did what any reasonable, slightly intoxicated Aruba Buddy would do.
I offered him $20 USD for his food.
And he actually went for it. 😂
Our $20 score turned out to be a Lomito Wrap, basically a tenderloin wrap, along with fries topped with garlic sauce and hot sauce.
After driving around Aruba striking out everywhere we went, we finally had food.
And you know what?
It was fire.
What Is BEL Smokehouse?
BEL Smokehouse BBQ is a local smokehouse located in Tanki Leendert, Aruba. Their menu goes well beyond the Lomito Wrap we ended up with that night, with brisket, pulled pork, ribs, burgers, wraps, loaded fries and plenty more.
So while this definitely wasn’t a traditional Aruba Buddy restaurant review, getting a taste of BEL was enough to make me want to come back and do it properly.
Next time, preferably while they’re actually open.
Aruba Buddy’s Take
This is one of the reasons I love Aruba.
Not every memorable experience needs to be some perfectly planned dinner overlooking the ocean. Sometimes the nights that go completely sideways make for the best stories.
We started out looking for a quick bite in Palm Beach and ended up driving around the island, striking out at one place after another, before finally buying a complete stranger’s BEL Smokehouse order for twenty bucks.
You can’t make this stuff up.
And somehow, after all of that, the food was actually damn good.
BEL Smokehouse is officially on my list for a return visit. Next time I want to show up hungry, before closing time, and work my way through some of that BBQ.
Until then, the $20 Lomito Wrap will have to hold us over.
Would you have paid the $20 for a stranger’s dinner—or called it a night and gone to bed hungry?
BEL Smokehouse BBQ
Location: Tanki Leendert 291, Oranjestad, Aruba
What to expect: BBQ, smoked meats, burgers, wraps, ribs, loaded fries and more
Aruba Buddy tried: Lomito Wrap with fries
One piece of advice from experience: check the hours before you go. 😂
BEL Smokehouse BBQ official website