One thing that we did not skimp
on in Belize was food. While we seemed
to eat our weight in rice and beans, there was quite a variety of delicious
cuisine that we tasted in Belize, with influences from Mexico, Jamaica, and
other parts of the Caribbean. Though we
were known to never skip a meal, here are a few of my top choices if you are to
find yourself in San Ignacio or Ambergris Caye.
This was one of our absolute
favorites. We stumbled upon it on our
bike ride to San Pedro, and I recognized the name from our guidebook. Without any real expectations, this place
blew us away, and we couldn’t stop talking about the amazing shrimp tacos
(mine) and al pastor tacos (Maddie’s) for the rest of the trip. In an open air setting right on the beach in
the heart of town, this is the perfect place to stop in San Pedro to cool off
with flavored ice teas and delicious food.
We had heard our bartender at The
Squirrel’s Nest talking about this place, and after not being able to get a
reservation the first night we tried, we knew it must be good (no where on
Ambergris Caye needs a reservation).
This place picked us up from our hotel for free, and after a quick drive
through a somewhat questionable part of town, we came upon the most beautiful
restaurant setting I think I’ve ever seen.
It has a lodge/beachy feel (if that even exists) with dark wood walls
and two open sides that look out onto a sandy yard. The place was lowly lit and the service
exceptional. After deciding on our
dinners, we were immediately persuaded to try the specials instead, and we were
not disappointed in the least. Probably
the most decadent meal we had, it was well worth it and I would say this
restaurant is a must if you’re on the island.
This tiny hut right across the
street from Mata Rocks proved to be probably the most authentic meal we had in
Belize (at least, what I had envisioned eating before we went on this
trip). When we walked up, the man
working immediately brought us over to the two barbecues out front and promptly
ripped off two bites of jerk chicken for us to taste. It was heavenly, so we ordered two meals
(including real-sugar Coca-Colas) and waited at one of the three picnic tables
out front. After making friends with an
iguana, our huge plates full of food were brought to use, including jerk
chicken, cole slaw, rice and beans, fried bread, and plantains. Likened to a food truck here in the states,
this is a definite must if you’re on the south side of the island looking for
an authentic experience and to eat with the locals (it was also one of our
cheapest meals in Ambergris Caye).
This restaurant is located on the
west side of the island and is one of the few places to get a really great view
of the sunset (most resorts are located on the east side). Though my main meal was not my favorite, we
were able to try some conch fritters, something we had been wanting to try
since we landed on the island (very yummy).
Go here for the ambience – maybe just for drinks or appetizers.
This was the first place we went
in San Ignacio, and as the guidebook says, be ready to wait. We got the last table in the restaurant, and
pretty soon there was a line out the door.
We each had curry (chicken for Maddie and shrimp for me) and though it
was pretty good, I would have liked to try a quesadilla (they looked huge and
delicious). This is a great place right
on the main drag of the city to have a few beers and reminisce about your day
cave tubing. Oh, and the name? It means “Let’s Go Eat”. Cute, right?
We headed up to this hotel
restaurant after hearing the views were amazing (they were). Though the menu was a bit underwhelming
(pasta alfredo? Really?), the food was
100 times better than described. I
inhaled my pork chops, but the best part?
Maddie’s pineapple chicken, that came in an actual carved out
pineapple! It was worth the $5 cab fare
up there for the pineapple alone, and on top of the over the topness of it, it
was actually delicious.
If you ever find yourself in Belize, I hope this helps! :)
xoxo,
stephanie marie
