Places to eat in Caye Caulker

My brother and I stayed for 8 nights on Caye Caulker and tried almost all the happy hours. We finally settled on bambooze with their 2 for B$7 rum drinks. Meldi and Marlena kep the drinks coming and kept us entertained.
PS: its also a great spot to have dinner. We had fish, rib, and chicken wings and all were great. The wings look like they came off turkeys.

Favorite Dish: Red snapper - fresh tasty
Panty Rippers - great rum drink at 2 for $7 during happy hour. You can't beat that.

no food that night, this is for after the sand box, beers and swings, swing next to the bar and pick up your beer, take a sip and on the next pass set it back down, too friggn cool. Back before the roof top had a roof. Nothing but clear skies at night and plenty of stars...

Favorite Dish: beer and bob marley

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I was pretty disappointed when I saw that Jan's Place, that excellent bakery we had discovered on our previous trip to Caye Caulker, had closed. It's now a little sandwich shop called Paradiso, and they offer a nice selection of baguettes, salads, fresh juices and smoothies, which I have to admit makes for a nice difference after a week of gorging on Caribbean food. I ordered the salami sandwich and it was quite good, though perhaps a little expensive ($8). The sandwiches are filled with fresh veggies, and you can also add cheese for a few extra bucks. Not a bad option when you feel like eating something light and fresh!

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This place used to be an Indian restaurant and I remember walking past it several times during my first trip to Caye Caulker, thinking it looked kind of neat, but the place was always empty (which is usually not a good sign on the island). That restaurant closed and the new owners decided to open a place that serves local dishes instead, and clearly it's working for them because Los Arcos seemed to be doing good business while we were there. The restaurant itself is quite charming and offers a nice view of all the action on Front Street, which makes for a really nice atmosphere. The staff is very friendly and the daily menu features an interesting selection of local specialties. I went for the pineapple chicken and was very pleased with my choice - it wasn't necessarily the best meal I had in Caye Caulker, but if you're looking for something local and not too expensive, I'd say Los Arcos is a pretty good choice. Oh, and they have Happy Hour every night!

This tiny restaurant opened not that long ago but already it's become a favourite with both visitors and locals. Sandro moved to Caye Caulker a few years ago from Italy and he brought with him his favourite pasta recipes to the delight of people on the island. Everything Sandro serves is incredibly fresh and tasty, from the pasta to the garlic bread and salads. There are only a couple of tables inside the restaurant and a couple more picnic tables on the beach, but when the food is that good you don't really need more ambience. Service is not exactly fast, but that's something that can be expected since Sandro takes care of the cooking all by himself and the place is always extremely busy, with people dropping by to place take-away orders all night long. In any case, we picked up a bottle of wine at the market across the street (the restaurant doesn't serve alcohol but you can bring your own) and had a drink while we were waiting for our meal so time went by really fast - and trust me, it was worth the wait!

Favorite Dish: The blue cheese pasta and spaghetti a la bolognesa were really, really good!

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Here's another restaurant I really enjoyed discovering on this second trip to Caye Caulker. The Pirate's Grill was located just a few steps away from our hotel on Front Street and we first spotted it as we were looking for a place to have an early breakfast before our cave tubing excursion. The restaurant's yummy huevos rancheros were just what I needed to start my day, and my plate was so filling that I didn't have any problem waiting for lunch, even after all the hiking through the jungle and padling down the river! I also very much enjoyed the fast and friendly service, so one night as we were looking for a place to go for dinner, I suggested giving Pirate's Grill another try. At night, the menu is somewhat similar to that of other grills on the island: you can choose from a selection of fresh fish and seafood (there are also some non-sea-related options), which they cook right on the spot, and they also offer a nice selection of side dishes. My barbecue chicken came with coleslaw and marinara pasta, and overall I'd say the taste was slightly more refined than what I'd had at other grills on the island, which for me puts this restaurant a notch above the others.

Favorite Dish: Dinner was really good, but that breakfast was the best I had in Caye Caulker!

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As you walk past the Cuban-themed restaurant Havana Nights, located just a few steps away from the water taxi terminal, chances are you'll get a good whiff of what they'll be serving for dinner that night: roasted pork! Three days a week, they get the fire going early in the morning so that a fresh pork can be slowly roasted to perfection - it's actually become a bit of an attraction in Caye Caulker, with people stopping by during the day to get their picture taken next to their meal in the making. On most nights patrons have access to an all-you-can-eat buffet that features soup and the traditional rice and beans, along with tortillas, cole slaw and pork slices, which I promptly turned into a Belizean pupusa! On other days, the pork leftovers are turned into equally delicious sandwiches. The restaurant is located right on the beach and offers a no-frills Caribbean atmosphere that I really enjoyed, and it's even possible to enjoy your meal right on the water in one of Havana Nights' docked boats. One of the best new restaurants in town!

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The Rainbow Grill & Bar is my in-laws' favorite place to go out for lunch, mostly because of its great patio that juts out into the Caribbean Sea, and they've made it a bit of a tradition to eat there after going fishing. The menu offers a nice selection of local dishes and there is always a daily special, so even if we ate there several times during our two trips to Caye Caulker, there was always something different to pick from the menu - and this applies to drinks as well: there's a wide selection of cocktails to choose from, ranging from the classic rum punch to very elaborate concoctions! One of my most memorable dining experiences to date actually took place at the Rainbow Grill: after I caught a huge jack fish, our guide Piggie prepared some filets and brought them over to the restaurant where they were cooked to perfection. I don't normally eat fish, but this time I just couldn't resist!

The restaurant can get fairly crowded when cruiseships are in town, but Noeli and Delmar still manage to offer a swift and friendly service. Not that you'd want to leave this place quickly, though - the view is so nice, chances are you'll want to linger around for one more drink after your meal is over :o)

Favorite Dish: My own favorite dish was the cajun chicken with rice & beans - it's an island classic, and it was just spicy enough.