I ate at Rihanna's favorite fast-food chain in Barbados, Chefette, and the menu is better than McDonald's
Rachel Hosie
- When visiting Barbados to report on the island's remote work visa in October (and following safety protocol), I visited fast-food chain Chefette.
- It's considered the Bajan version of McDonald's and is loved by Rihanna.
- Serving pizza, fried chicken, rotis, and burgers, not to mention lots of ice cream, there's something for everyone at Chefette.
- It's not fancy, but it's tasty and fun, and I can see why Rihanna loves it.
Barbados may be known for its stunning beaches and ubiquitous rum shacks, but there's one other establishment you can't miss if you visit the Caribbean island: Chefette.
Known as the Bajan McDonald's, the distinctive yellow and purple fast-food chain can be found all over the island, and it's beloved by kids, adults, and celebrities alike.
Proud Bajan Rihanna has long expressed her love of Chefette and is regularly spotted there when she's back home.
In 2020, Drake visited Barbados and, according to locals, frequented Chefette while there. He even posted on Instagram suggesting a future album may be inspired by the chain.
In October 2020, I visited Barbados to see how the island's new remote work visa is going, meet digital nomads, and try the lifestyle for myself (adhering to the strict pandemic entry protocol and quarantining on arrival), and I knew I had to visit Chefette while I was there.
Every Bajan I spoke to seemed to have a fondness for Chefette, having been an integral part of childhood for many.
I'm not a huge fast-food fan, but there was something about Chefette that has left me with a real soft spot for it too. I thought the menu was more diverse than other global fast-food chains, serving pizza, fried chicken, burgers, rotis, and more, so whatever you're craving is catered for.
I'd love to go back to Barbados in the future when travel is safe again, and when I do, I'll definitely be following Rihanna's lead and getting a Chefette fix.
Each branch of Chefette looks slightly different, and I decided to frequent the Black Rock branch with my friends Emma and Ben, two digital nomads I met during my trip.
There was hand sanitizer at the entrance but no temperature check, something I had found commonplace in other hospitality venues in Barbados.
As per government guidelines, we wore our masks while walking around and ordering, as did the staff.
Deciding what to order was a challenge. The menu has burgers, pizza, rotis (wraps), fried chicken in various guises, and more. We were overwhelmed by choice.
After ordering a selection, we went to sit down in the empty restaurant. It was early afternoon, so it soon started to fill up as schools finished for the day. I didn't notice any enforced social distancing, but people seemed to spread out themselves.
Our order was soon ready so I went to pick it up from the counter. We'd gone for a chicken roti, burger, pizza slice, and chicken nuggets and fries, plus BBQ and garlic sauces (0.75 BBD ($0.38) each).
The packaging was a mix of cardboard and foil, and continued the bright, colorful theme - including a Breast Cancer Awareness pink box for the pizza.
First up, the all chicken roti, which cost 10.50 BBD ($5.25). You see roti all over Barbados, and it's a common street food on the island.
Essentially a chicken curry wrap, the Chefette roti was very tasty. It wasn't very spicy (thankfully for me) and the wrap was nice and thin, with plenty of chicken filling.
On to the quarter-pounder beef burger, 9.75 BBD ($4.88), which was my least favorite. Although the patty was thicker than McDonald's, I found that it was a little dry.
Next up, the pizza slice, which cost 10.50 BBD ($5.25). I loved the generous amount of cheese and pepperoni. The base was a little bland, but later in my trip I ordered a whole pizza for delivery, and it was much better: Greasy, but in a highly delicious way.
The chicken nuggets, 12.50 BBD ($6.25) for six, were more breaded than ones from McDonald's but I liked the crispy coating and the chicken was tender. They were served with a bread roll and crinkle fries.
For dessert, we sampled Chefette's ice cream selection. There were many different flavors and toppings, and you pay for each individual item: 5 BBD ($2.25) for a one scoop cup, 7.95 BBD ($3.97) for two scoops, and 1.25 BBD ($0.63) per topping.
From mini M&Ms to Reese's Pieces, the toppings were great and the servings were pleasingly generous. We really liked the cookies and cream (which tasted like Häagen-Dazs with lots of cookie) and caramel (deliciously creamy), but were less wowed by the chocolate flavor's icy texture.
On the whole, I loved Chefette. It's cheap and cheerful but fun and tasty. I'd go back for the chicken roti alone.
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