Chowing Exotic Tail at Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl in Provo
There are no alligators in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Crocs roamed here centuries ago, but the Spanish Conquistadors took care of that.
They also took care of some cat-sized rodent that apparently used to live in TCI. In fact, the Spanish eradicated just about everything that scurried about the Turks and Caicos. All the left behind was a smattering of iguanas. Those iguanas, though, are are the still endangered. So yeah, not a lot of even semi-exotic land animals here.
Imagine my surprise, then, upon being served the deliciously uncommon platter pictured above on a recent summer visit to Provo.
No, those aren’t chicken fingers…
They’re gator tails!
Fabulously fried, succulent gator tails paired perfectly with a bit of Bambarra Reserve. Trust me, it’s a great recipe for winding down the day.
The place to get this dish: Bugaloo’s.
If the name sounds familiar to longtime Provo lovers it’s probably because you ran across the man, Bugaloo, himself during his years operating several small and humble shacks in the Blue Hills area near Da’ Conch Shack. Then, as now, Bugaloo is widely recognized as THE CONCH MAN OF PROVO. So naturally, when he took his celebrated name and talents across the island to a new spot in Five Cays Settlement back in November 2012, the action and good times went with him.
I’ll have a lot more to say about the conch, rum, and fun party vibe at Bugaloo’s in future posts. (Read my full review of the Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl experience here.) Today, though, my taste buds are squarely centered on the platter above.
Provo–Louisiana Pipeline
Bugaloo’s brings in the tails from Louisiana. Lightly battered and fried, they’re excellent on their own. It’s that yellow dipping sauce sitting in middle of the plate, though, that really makes this snack a treat to me.
The guys at Bugaloo’s weren’t sharing the secret to their sauce during my visit. You can be sure, though, that I’ll return with my lab coat to try and crack the code. Even if I’m not successful, it’ll still be worth it to enjoy these exotic eats again at such a fun place.
Bugaloo’s is open every day beginning at 11am. The kitchen closes at 10pm, but the bar tends to stay open a bit longer, depending on the crowd. To join the party at Bugaloo’s online, “Like” them on Facebook here.
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