Really, really well done. We don't expect much from food services that are located in tourist areas. People are there for fun, but then get hungry, trapped because of the location, and tossing out value based choices because you can't fight 'h'anger with an explanation of 'it's so expensive'. So when we were planning for a day at Coco Cay, the private island owned by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, I wanted to use the complementary food services that the island provided, even if it meant standing in line and getting sub-standard 'free' food...if it meant more time at the beach. South Beach Coco Cay is where we ended up staying after snagging a couple of front row loungers (front meaning unobstructed views of the ocean). The Snack Shack in South Beach opened at 10;30, and I stopped in around 10:50, expecting it to be still very crowded. Surprisingly it wasn't...it had 4 lines going at once, and each line was no more than 4 bodies deep. Because the menu is very limited and all pre-made (and because there is no payment involved), the lines go by very, very fast. For my first round, I got a chicken sandwich, fries, and mozzarella stix. The sandwich was a real chicken breast (not processed meat), and was very crispy and still very hot. The fries were thick, nicely crisp. The stix were very crunchy and hot, using that not so good cheese that is more dense than stringy, coming with a decent marinara sauce. What makes this so good is that there is a clean, fully stocked condiment and add-on bar where you can dress up your sandwiches anyway you want. I love this...nobody does this anymore because it is so messy and hard to keep stocked and clean...but here...I stopped by many times, and every time it was clean and stocked. The condiments included were (all Heintz products): Mayo, ketchup, mustard, relish, ranch, and bbq sauce. The toppings bar had sliced white onion, dill pickle chips, sliced red tomatoes, and chopped romaine lettuce. Finally, the other side of the bar had fresh fruit: sliced watermelon, sliced pineapples with skin still on, and cut cantelopes...all still chilled. For my chicken sandwich, I tried to add tomato, lettuce and mayo right there, and it did get messy (as well causing slowness for the folks behind me). So my second round, 4 hours later, I made myself a backyard cheeseburger. The cheeseburger was again in a waxed sleeve, not great to put toppings on. So this time, I just got a small plate and put my toppings (including a mixture of ketchup and mayo) on it to-go. I then assembled my sandwich in the comfort of my chair, not holding anybody up. The bun had been toasted, then cheese melted, and the ground beef wasn't so dense or too finely ground. It was a really good burger. Throughout our stay, I would go up to get fresh watermelon and ice water for us....and at no time did it get too crowded....and everytime the area was clean and tidy. Munching on fresh watermelon as the juice dribbles down your mouth as you look out into the ocean, not caring about the mess since you will wash off it in the ocean anyway...that's what I call enjoying life. Drinks are good too...no soda, but had a juice machine with lemon-lime, mango, strawberry kiwi, and water)..and a nearby ice machine giving out crushed ice. One more thing: gulls are very prevalent here, and they have learned how to get food. They come in waves together, any food left out will get stolen and they seemed to 'attack' the umbrella next to ours more than the others. And our umbrella was covered in droppings by the end of the day...definitely important to have something overhead. It truly was food for a picnic at the beach...and it's very true: it just tasted so much damn better because of where you were. But isn't that the point? read more

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