Winter Haven aka "Rowdy Boys" has some of the best food on Long Island, recently dined on some native mutton, prepared by traditional recipe. It's better than KFC, because it's finger licking good. Beautiful view of the ocean and pool. A must visit!
On our first visit to the Bahamas, we chose to visit a variety of destinations, including Harbour Island/Eleuthera, Long Island, and Nassau (Atlantis). In late November, Long Island was recovering from Hurricane Joaquin and one could not miss the evidence. Visitors to southern Long Island need to be somewhat independent, as there is no regular local transportation system. We had found it difficult to book a rental car in advance as communications were not back to 100%, and the staff at Winter Haven Inn were very helpful in locating a car for us and also jump starting it on our last day (it didn't want us to leave).
The Inn has a fine location next to the harbour with a view of the whole town. The accommodations were excellent with an ocean view. The Rowdy Boys restaurant had just re-opened on the day we arrived and it looked like new; also a quiet place so don't let the name put you off. While I'm no gourmet, I was very impressed with the quality of the food in such a remote location. This is surely the best restaurant in the area.
For anyone considering travel to southern Long Island, this makes an excellent base. Not too far to drive to the southern tip of the island where you can have an unspoiled Caribbean beach to yourself, and in the other direction it's not too far from the airport and the world famous Deans Blue Hole.
While we didn't stay at Winter Haven, we ate many meals in the Rowdy Boys Restaurant.
In a word: Fantastic! My wife and I are big fans of fresh seafood, and in particular, conch.
One memorable dinner was the Rowdy Boys conch burger. A fresh baked bun, literally overflowing with conch, lettuce and tomato, and a plateful of seasoned fries. Wash it all down with a couple of ice cold Kaliks. Life is good!
Our only complaint is that they don't have Sands beer.
We didn't stay at the inn but enjoyed two delicious meals at Rowdys. Fresh fish was great and traditional Bahamian conch fritters and fried conch excellent. Nice salads and delicious homemade desserts also.
We ate here a few times for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So that should tell you the food was great. Full bar, they can make whatever drinks you want. Great spot to see locals and tourists. Great view of the ocean.
