Remembering Culinary Pacesetter; Rest Easy Bugaloo

By  Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, February 20, 2023 – The Turks and Caicos has lost a culinary giant with the passing of pioneering chef, Berlie “Bugaloo” Williams.   Magnetic Media on February 15 was informed of the well-loved chef’s passing by his business partner and friend Michael Stolow.

Today we lost a legend.  Bugaloo knew how to work with the most simple things, to make beauty.  With some 2×4 planks of wood, paint, fresh conch, scotch bonnet peppers, and a lemon, the man made Provo’s first loved conch spot.  From the original small spot in Blue Hills, to the now standing @bugaloos_turksncaicos in 5 Cays, his spirit guided all including the special friendship with Mike that made Bugaloo’s name as known as it is.”

Williams was the legendary mind behind restaurants like the Conch Shack which has enjoyed incredible success and has become a pillar of TCI culinary life; and of course, his namesake Bugaloo’s, which is beloved by residents and visitors alike in the fishing settlement of Five Cays, Providenciales.

What is now commonplace was unique in those early days of a developing Caribbean tourism hot spot.  Conch Salad diced up with fresh fruit and vegetables while standing, even lounging in the incomparable waters of Providenciales.

The tasty fusion of Bahamian, Haitian, Jamaica, Dominican and Turks and Caicos creations while being fanned by the brisk breezes continue to be part of his legacy in the kitchen.  Added to his trademark, dazzling smile and his “I am Bugaloo” shirt, he and his menu items left a decisive (and delicious) mark on the TCI dining scene.

Born in Bottle Creek, North Caicos he like many others hopped between the TCI and the Bahamas.  He worked in the service industry all his life from his first job at a hotel in the Bahamas as a busboy to master chef.  With a knack for utilizing the TCI’s conch in new and tasty ways his talent in the kitchen was undeniable.

He came back to his native country after a stint in the Bahamas in 1991.

Recognizing his talent, Stolow offered him the chance to open a restaurant of his own and only three years later, Bugaloo’s, his first restaurant in Blue Hills with his signature and savory conch salad was born.

The Five Cays location with beachside views and fresh conch from the ocean has remained a hit.  Opening up a new side of the island and bringing unprecedented attention to the community, including a flood of guests who love the restaurant planted on soft sands with unique vistas of the fisherman’s beach.

“Bugaloo is a legend in this country and is one of the most interesting characters you’ll have the opportunity to meet,” so many have penned over the years.

Destination Magazine described and captured this conch-making-maverick in a 2016 interview; an apt description that speaks to the deep love the TCI people have for the chef. He will certainly be missed.

Until his death; Bugaloo was always a delight despite his struggles with illness.  Filled with hilarious reflections on days gone by and promises of tomorrow, he was a man full of hope and one who can rest assured, that his love for native foods and his desire to enhance the dining experience of visitors to and residents of the Turks and Caicos are now legendary.

Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl, is brilliantly named in his honour and the restaurant continues to show great care for the kitchen stylings and is unflinchingly committed to the original ideas of Berlie Williams, which are as yummy as they are iconic.