Santa Cruz●○○○#5 of 11 Places to Eat in Santa Cruz

The New Shahai Take Away N.V.

Name: The New Shahai Take Away N.V.
Address: Macuarima 61-b, Santa Cruz Aruba, AW
Price range: $
Rating: 3.5

★★★½☆3.5 out of 5 · 4 reviews

local

caribbean

Photo: © Management via TripAdvisor

The New Shahai Take Away N.V. is a $ caribbean local restaurant in Santa Cruz rated 3.5/5 by 4 TripAdvisor reviewers; walk-ins welcome.

About

The New Shahai Take Away sits in Santa Cruz, a central neighborhood most tourists blow past on the way to the national park. It's #5 out of 11 restaurants here, which in a town this size means locals know about it. The price is bottom-tier—single dollar sign—and the value subrating backs that up at 4.5 out of 5. The kitchen does Caribbean food, and the setup is takeaway, so you're ordering at a counter and either eating at one of the tables or bringing it back to your rental. Both the food and service score a 4 out of 5, solid for a neighborhood spot that isn't trying to be anything other than what it is. It's kid-friendly if you're passing through with family and need a quick, cheap meal that isn't another hotel buffet. Four reviews isn't a deep sample, but the pattern holds: good food, fair price, no pretense.

At a glance

Area: Santa Cruz
Vibe: local
Price: ●○○○
Reservation required: –
Kid friendly: ✓
Cuisine: caribbean
Dietary options: —

Make a day of it

Tours & things to do nearby

Fins & Feet Nature Tours

From $95 per person

Fins & Feet runs boat-and-snorkel tours out of Noord, and the #2 ranking among Aruba's 200+ water sports operations says something about consistency. With 656 reviews holding a perfect rating and a 2025 Travelers Choice badge, they've clearly figured out the format. The tour lasts three hours, moderate intensity — expect some sun exposure and time in the water, but it's designed for mixed skill levels. Pricing sits at $75, which for Aruba snorkel outings is middle of the pack, and booking goes direct through them rather than a third-party platform. The north-side launch means you're likely hitting sites along the calm west coast — think Boca Catalina or the Antilla wreck — though specifics depend on conditions. If you want predictable quality and you're comfortable in open water, this is a safe bet.

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Dirtlovers Atv Tours Aruba

Dirtlovers runs ATV tours out of Oranjestad, and the #8 ranking among outdoor activities tells you people come back pleased. A three-hour ride at intensity level 4 means you're actually working — this isn't a paved cruise. You'll cover backcountry terrain that rental sedans can't touch, likely hitting the north coast roughlands and inland trails where the vegetation thins out and the limestone shows through. The 5-out-of-5 average across nearly 600 reviews is unusual for an activity this physical, which suggests the guides know the routes and pace things so beginners don't panic while experienced riders still get their fix. Expect dust. The $100 price point is standard for guided ATV in Aruba, and direct booking keeps things simple. No stated age minimum, but check with them if you're bringing younger kids — the intensity rating implies this skews older.

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Aruba Outdoor Adventures

Aruba Outdoor Adventures runs boat tours out of Balashi, just east of Oranjestad near the refinery ruins. The #3 ranking among water sports operators and back-to-back Travelers' Choice awards mean they're doing something consistently right—546 reviews at five stars is hard to fake. Most outings run three hours and lean active, so expect snorkeling stops, maybe some coastline exploration, not just a slow float. The price sits around $75, which is mid-range for guided water trips here. They handle bookings direct, which can make communication easier if weather shifts or you need to adjust a reservation. The location isn't fancy—it's industrial Balashi, not a resort dock—but that's also why they can move quickly and skip the high-rise crowd. If you want a boat trip that skips the upsell script and just gets you on the water, this is a solid pick.

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Santa Cruz●○○○© Management via TripAdvisor

Huchada

Huchada sits in Santa Cruz, the agricultural heart of the island, and it's the kind of local spot you drive past twice before you realize it's there. The #1 ranking among eateries in the area tells you it's not an accident — the food score of 4.6 backs that up, and the dollar-sign price means you're not paying tourist markups for it. It's Caribbean home cooking with a café setup, leaning casual and welcoming to families. The atmosphere rating matches the food, which usually means the space feels right even if it's simple. Service runs high too, so expect someone to actually check in on you. Santa Cruz isn't on most visitors' radar, but if you're heading to Arikok or the east coast beaches, this is the lunch stop that makes sense. Cash helps.

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Santa Cruz●○○○© Management via TripAdvisor

Urataka Center

Urataka Center is a casual pizza and bar spot in Santa Cruz, away from the resort strip. It ranks #292 out of 719 restaurants on the island, which puts it firmly in the midfield, but the food subrating edges above four stars and the price level is budget-friendly — a dollar sign in a sea of three. The menu leans pizza and bar staples, and the vibe is neighborhood casual. Families show up, the atmosphere rating suggests nothing fancy, and the value score tracks with what you'd expect from a local spot where the food does more work than the décor. Service sits just under four stars, so don't expect white-glove treatment, but the kitchen seems consistent enough to pull repeat business. If you're staying central or driving through Santa Cruz and need something cheap and filling, this works. It's not a destination, but it's also not trying to be.

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Torn between this and somewhere else? Settle it →

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The LionFish Snack sits in Paradera, inland from the coast in the Santa Cruz area — not a spot you'd stumble on by accident. The menu leans Caribbean and seafood with some Dutch touches, and the 4.4 food rating carries most of the weight here; atmosphere and service clock in lower, so expect casual and straightforward rather than polished. It's a mid-range price point, the kind of place where locals grab lunch and families show up without a reservation. The name tells you what to look for — lionfish is an invasive species in Aruba waters, and a handful of spots have built menus around it as both conservation play and novelty. Whether that's the draw or you're just hungry after driving the interior, it works as a quick stop if you're already in the area. Don't come for the scenery or the service polish; come because you want something different from the beachfront lineup and you're fine with rough edges.

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Source: TripAdvisor · view on TripAdvisor →

Photos by individual contributors as credited above.

Review summaries are AI-paraphrased from public traveler reviews.

The New Shahai Take Away N.V.