TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin FIG Restaurant

Arrived on island this week and decided to go to our favorite go to place to eat. Everything going fine until we witness a 2" long cockroach climbing up this fellow diners back unnoticed while sitting at his table.

We watched it fall on the ground shortly there after and scurry on the floor our way. We stepped on this critter and ended his nite. Showed our concern to waiter and states their has been issues with occupant at their building with no real concern ?

You decide for future reservation at this place as we will not return.

What do you expect? It's the tropics. Cockroaches are common. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" /> We ate there twice last year and can't wait to eat there again. Will probably go more this coming trip.

Oh, Irish,

Not laughing at you but smiling a little, I have to admit.

Had it been on MY sleeve I'd have been out of my mind but sadly, I'd have that reaction to any bug so it wouldn't take a two inch long cockroach to set me off.

One thing I learned to come to terms with many, many years ago with regard to the Caribbean and it's various and assorted 'night-life' is that cockroaches and rats abound. Not liking the fact at all but I accept they exist and usually tend to frequent the same places we enjoy. For the same reasons do you think? And if so, I guess we need to congratulate them on their good taste. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />

They're one of the ugly facts of life around the world, but particularly so in the warmer climates of the Caribbean, St. Martin being no exception to this rule.

During one of our earliest visits way back in the seventies or early eighties, I was putting things away in the kitchen of the property we were renting and as I pulled open one of the base cabinet doors this ugly creature scurried to the darkest corner of the cabinet. When I stopped screaming and got down off the chair I begged my DH to call the front desk and tell them of the invasion of our monster creature and demand another unit.

About five minutes later one of the hotel maids arrived armed with her weapon of choice - a can of Raid or something comparable - and laughing all the while, she vanquished the creature from this world.

She then explained the reality of creatures and critters in the Caribbean to me, skeptic though I was, and definitely still fearing for the potential invasion of the army of friends and aquaintances of the now deceased cockroach, I tried to buy into it. Needless to say, it didn't happen - no more visitors over the course of our trip - and we were safe from the scourge.

I'd be a little freaked by the creature's appearance but I don't think I'd let it deter me from returning to a property I loved, be that a hotel or restaurant if I was generally confident in the overall cleanliness factor of the place in the first place. Over the years we've seen bugs (including many of the dreaded la cuckarocha) and rats - some huge ones at that - and at some of the best and most respected restaurants on the island but I will spare you the gory details of where.

It happens, they exist and sadly, you may see them almost anywhere, anytime, but most frequently at night.

However, I respect your personal dismay and I get it, and ultimately we all have to make the choices we're personally comfortable with. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Reminds me of our honeymoon! (Bermuda) Went to bed, saw a little cockroach on the ceiling directly over me. Freaked and made DH "go kill it", and he nicely went to the broom closet to get a weapon. I heard the door open and shut, he came back to bed, turned off the light, and said "Don't worry about that one, you should see his relatives"! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

As Pat so eloquently said, those buggers abound down here. Last week our cat proudly presented us with a dead tree rat on our terrace, and there's an occasional cockroach that flies in when the screen is open. They are not necessarily reflective of cleanliness or hygiene; simply the overall environment.

Wendy's is right, as although these buggers are big enough for a saddle, they are not the disease breeding types you might see in an intercity.....just big. Every place with water will have them. It is no reflection on the cleanliness, or lack of such in a restaurant. ( an easier way would be to check their bathrooms.)

In New Orleans they call them Palmetto Bugs. As Marge said---big enough for a saddle! And oh do they crunch when stepped upon.

Hey I just had a thought....isn't Fig near Sapphire? Maybe the roach was having a night out---on vacation from Sapphire.

I will never forget the look on Karen's face at Le Maison Sur Le Port when her french onion soup came out and that "Palm bug" was upside down, covered with baked cheese and his legs wiggling about!!!! 1983? What's a little more protein with you meal!!!! Or your scream when there was a snake with legs in your tub!!! Haha

But it was such a tiny snake - aka gecko. And it stared at you.
And then the waiter wanted to take the bug out and return the soup at Maison Sur la Porte. Uh, that would be a big no thank-you. Does she eat onion soup au gratin to this day? Dining on the French side back then was always full of surprises, like the cow in the grass outside Marks first place? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

We were in Marigot a few years back and there was torrential rain. 6 inches of water in the streets. These big old things were everywhere! Coming up from the storm drains by the thousands! In va we called them water bugs

Ahhh, the tropics - can't wait to get there - bugs and all!
I have come to an uneasy truce with the little critters of St Maarten. After all, I am the visitor!

But one time, when my husband and I were staying on the 1st floor of LaTerrasse, I opened the door to the hallway, and to my horror, I saw what I thought was a bat. The monster was hanging quietly on the ceiling very, very close to our door. Naturally, I screamed and jumped back into our room, calling frantically for reinforcements!
My husband went into the little utility closet and grabbed a broom or a mop, and went out to shoo it away. I was peeking out the door to watch the battle, but my husband came back in and put the weapon away. "It's only a big moth," he said nonchalantly, as if that made it all better!

sorry guys but, I DONT CARE WHERE IM AT...if they are out in the open, then its too late and the place is overrun with them...as you stated the owners don't care and if they have a cavalier attitude then that's too bad...and too sad

Weather this is acceptable here in the Caribbean or not I can assure you in my world it is not. Any multi-legged creatures in a dining environment is not acceptable weather it be Caribbean or metropolitan !

Pat when are you available I am sure you can dine here and prove us wrong on the infestation along with scuba Dan.

I take it you've never toured a kitchen before dining in a restaurant even in the States. If you had you'd see all kinds of things that would make you think twice about eating out anywhere.

I guess it's safe to assume you aren't a camper!! We did a week of tent camping on St. John a few years ago and OMG, the creatures we saw and the things we learned about them. But that's a whole other story.

I do appreciate that most of us would be intimidated by seeing one of these creatures first-hand up close and personal, and even moreso in a restaurant setting, but whether or not the presence of one 'Palmetto Bug' (that sounds so much better than the other choice, doesn't it?) in a Caribbean climate is the same as an 'infestation' is a totally different discussion.

With regard to FIG specifically, I've found it to be immaculate on every one of our many dinners there since it opened so based on the presence of one cockroach (which, incidentally may have fallen onto the back of the diner before he entered the restaurant and just came along for the ride - just sayin'......) I'm not willing to say it's "infested" and we will definitely not be deterred from checking it out in person in a few more weeks. Who knows, I might be singing a very different song then but I'm thinking and hoping probably not. FIG is a very convenient go-to spot for us when we don't feel like going out for a formal island dinner and I'd hate to lose it as such. We'll see what happens in April. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

We had dinner at Fig last week and it was excellent as always and very clean. For me, if I don't see it, it doesn't exist. Palmetto bugs are part of the tropics. Now, a rat ran right by my foot at an outdoor restaurant in Simpson Bay. A few evenings ago, still getting over that one, but I see them in NYC, too.

could be worse. "flying palmetto bugs". popular in some southern states.

Please. You all like to eat at outdoor restaurants and that's where the bugs live. Palmetto Bugs, rats etc.
And I have worked in restaurants in NYC and there was no infestation inside the kitchens.
It's nature!
Cheers
irina

Eight of us had dinner there last night and had very good meals and very good service. They were pretty much full and continued to be busy after our dining time.

Any place in the tropics (or the states for that matter) may have bug/rodent issues f the conditions are right.

As a side note, it appears they are only serving dinner at this time.

Thanks for this post. While I know that 'creatures' are a reality in the Caribbean and can pop up almost anywhere, you've reaffirmed my faith in a place we've enjoyed ever since it first opened. Glad the meal and service were good and you didn't experience any alien beings joining you for the evening. Was it the 'usual crew' and if so, hi, everyone!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Yes, the usual crew. Very good meal and actually I would say excellent service. They were busy and did a great job.

This might give you some insight on the personality of a cockroach.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/video/cockroaches-have-personalities-study-finds/vi-AA9AR6T <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />