BBQ Bar ΓÇö Charcoal Smoke on Plutostraat
A no-frills Paramaribo grill where chicken, ribs and squid come off the fire fast, cheap and messy.
Why Go
Skip the polished tourist restaurants for one night and follow the smoke on Plutostraat. BBQ Bar is where locals in north Paramaribo pull up for spare ribs, chargrilled chicken and heaped plates of fried rice ΓÇö the kind of unfussy Surinamese roadside cooking that never makes it into the glossy guides but always ends up being the meal you remember.
The Experience
BBQ Bar sits on Plutostraat 118, tucked into a residential-commercial stretch a short hop from Maretraite Mall and the Aquafit sports centre. The vibe is pure Paramaribo neighbourhood joint: plastic chairs, a big grill, ice-cold Parbo bottles and a soundtrack of sizzling meat and Surinamese chatter. This is takeaway-first eating with a few seats to linger over, which means orders fly out quickly and the queue turns over fast ΓÇö a nice change of pace from the slower-paced sit-down spots downtown. Come hungry, come casual, and don't expect a hostess or a wine list; expect char, smoke and generous portions.
What to Try
The kitchen leans hard into what its name promises: BBQ chicken and spare ribs are the anchor orders, both smoky, sticky and best eaten with your hands. Seafood eaters should go straight for the grilled squid or the seafood mix ΓÇö a Suriname coastal-town speciality that BBQ Bar does at street-food prices. If you're rolling in as a group, add a plate of fried rice or fried noodles to share, and grab a bowl of soup to start. Chicken wings are the low-risk crowd-pleaser if you're feeding kids or picky eaters.
Insider Tip
Call ahead ΓÇö (+597) 884-8500 or 857-8211 ΓÇö and place your order 20ΓÇô30 minutes before you show up. Grills like this cook to order, and walking in cold on a Friday or Saturday night can mean a long wait. Locals also treat BBQ Bar as a takeaway: order a big mixed platter, grab a six-pack of Parbo from a nearby warung, and eat on your hotel terrace or by the Suriname River waterfront for a cheaper, breezier alternative to a sit-down meal.
The Practical Stuff
Address: Plutostraat 118, Paramaribo (Plus Code RVR5+GVC), roughly 10 minutes by car north of the historic centre and a couple of minutes from Maretraite Mall. Phone: (+597) 884-8500 / 857-8211. Cash in SRD is safest; smaller BBQ spots in Suriname are inconsistent with card payments. Dress is casual ΓÇö this is a t-shirt-and-flip-flops kind of place. Vegetarians will struggle here; the menu is meat-, poultry- and seafood-driven, though the fried rice and noodle dishes can sometimes be ordered without meat if you ask.
Pair It With
- Maretraite Mall — Grab groceries, SIM top-ups or a quick coffee just minutes away before or after your BBQ run ΓÇö the mall is the natural anchor of this side of Paramaribo.
- Suriname River Waterfront (Waterkant) — Take your takeaway boxes down to the historic waterfront at sunset for a river-view picnic that beats any sit-down terrace in town.
- Parbo Bier tasting at Surinaamse Brouwerij — Suriname's beloved local lager is the perfect wash-down for smoky ribs ΓÇö pair a brewery visit earlier in the day with a BBQ Bar dinner.
- Aquafit Paramaribo — Burn off the ribs the next morning at the nearby sports and pool complex, an easy walk from Plutostraat.