The evolution of Bobo’s almost gourmet Bar & Grill

Bobo's Bar & Grill on Matamoras in Centro

Bobo’s Bar & Grill started as a pocket-sized, take-out location on Isla Mujeres; a place with fish so fresh it was swimming an hour before it hit the plate, and chips so yummy we couldn’t stay on our diets.

Now it’s a two-level eatery that spills out onto the street, with a quirky wooden sign ‘torn’ in half. 

On one building, the sign reads Bo, and on the adjacent building, Bo’s. The sign is a humorous improvisation to placate a neighbour.

Cocktail time with friends

In the summer of 2009, Brian Kerr leased the former location of Lolo Rapido on Matamoras Avenue in Centro. Employed as a wine sommelier at Sutton Place in Vancouver, BC, Brian discovered this little piece of paradise while on vacation. He decided to take the plunge, to be an entrepreneur. Isn’t that every man’s fantasy? To be self-employed on a tropical island in the Caribbean Sea?

In the beginning, the business was primarily take-out, until Brian managed to squeeze a couple of tables and eight chairs along the edge of the narrow, busy street.  Then he expanded to a neighbouring property to add a bar and additional seating, and the two-part Bobo’s sign. 

The newest expansion upper level

A year later, Ben Coleman and his partner, Vicki Dupuy, became entwined with island life. The boy from Birmingham, Alabama, and the girl from New Orleans had originally met at a Saints football game in her hometown.  

Both worked for AT&T, Ben in outside sales and Vicki as a manager. Frequent visitors to Isla Mujeres and regular patrons at Bobo’s, they struck up a friendship with Brian Kerr.

One Sunday afternoon, while immersed in the warm Caribbean water at Playa Norte, near Fenix Restaurante, Vicki asked Ben that life-changing question.

“Why can’t we live here six months a year?”

Almost gourmet!

Becoming partners with Brian Kerr in 2013, Ben and Vicki moved to Isla Mujeres and became full-time islanders. Bobo’s Bar & Grill went through another transformation. 

The rooftop junk-collecting, storage area was converted into comfortable open-air seating. More stools were added along the upper edge, giving patrons a view of the action on Matamoras Avenue.  The kitchen was re-done, and the downstairs bar was enlarged.

Next, mixologist Lory Manzo was hired to update the beverage menu and train the bar staff. Bright and bold murals were painted by islander Barbara Siebenlist Palomar.  

Summertime special drink

And on Wednesdays and Fridays, live music is provided by The Caribbean Beats Band. With the recent addition of Chef Nick Altringer from Minneapolis, the modest little fish and chip take-out has become, in Ben’s words, almost gourmet, and a very happening place. 

Check out their signature drinks and their tasty new menu. We’re still fans of the fresh fish and chips.

Hasta Luego

Lynda, Lawrie, and Sparky

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