Let’s chat about Belize street food to eat or not to eat. We all have to eat during the day however when traveling do you risk it and try street food? Or Fast Food vendors? What is your reasoning for not trying Them? Is it because over the years people have been warned not to eat at these locations? When I first started traveling I always went to the restaurants catering to tourists. But then are you experiencing the culture and cuisine of that country? We noticed in Belize there were so many little walk-up Eateries. Some of the places we tried were not really street food vendors however it’s considered fast food, where some people are just BBQing on the side of the street.
Last year we took a chance and bought our breakfast from a pickup truck. We did have some concerns over this however other people were buying the food, So why not take a chance? You only live once right? I may add that neither Raymond nor I got sick from this food. We had our first Horchata drink. I absolutely loved the homemade tacos. This got me thinking. Let’s try more.
On this trip on the second day we went for a walk in the area of our Airbnb and saw a group of people lined up for a BBQ. We were hungry so we joined in the line. While Raymond and Amelia went for the BBQ as soon as I saw rice and beans with stew chicken I knew I was not getting anything else. This has become my favorite meal in Belize. I actually tried to eat as much of it as I could because I wanted to find the best. I will save that for another blog as I could talk about that topic for hours. For $4 US I got a piece of chicken with a large helping of rice and beans and coleslaw. It was delicious. Raymond and Amelia also really enjoyed their meal.
Personally I would consider this street food however it really is more like local fast food vendors. The people with little coolers filled with food that are alongside the street are street food vendors. where the little huts with a small area to eat are more like takeaway shops or fast food vendors. They don’t have Mcdonald’s or Wendys or any big chain fast food restaurants but this is one of Belize’s biggest charms. You get to eat the local fast food and It is seriously delicious.
We even got to try unexpected bollos when we dropped in to see a friend at Wine Smith. One of their friends had dropped in with them and he decided to offer us some to try. I may add this was so delicious I’m still craving them as I sit here and type. On Saturdays at the Market, you will see people walking around with buckets which are usually filled with Tamales and Bollos. My advice if you love food. Try one but be careful of the bones inside.
You don’t need to go to the bigger restaurants to get really good food. I stopped at another hut and enjoyed pupusas for the first time. Raymond walked to another place to buy Garnaches and they were so filling. On our way back from ziplining I had a craving for rice and beans and we stopped at a roadside place and sure enough they had my rice and beans. We love going to the San Ignacio market to get food. There are people out and about selling all kinds of fast food and fresh fruit juices. All of this food has been amazing to eat. You also get to talk and meet the locals. My advice go enjoy the foods of Belize and enjoy getting to know its people. You won’t be disappointed.
While at the Baboon Sanctuary we got to try Belizean cheese sauce which was to me a bit of a game changer as it is now one of my favorite things to make and eat. We went to Orange Walk and for $2 we enjoyed some street tacos and Horchata. Our fishing tour guide supplied us with stew chicken, rice and beans with fried Plantain and coleslaw. My stomach thanks you all for the amazing food we got to enjoy on this visit.
I’m not saying to only eat at these places as I loved the food at the restaurants as well. I am just stating by going out and supporting some of the smaller businesses you are getting an experience of a lifetime. We went to many places on this trip and were never disappointed in our meals or the service. We had so many amazing chats with the workers as well as other travelers. This is yet another reason we fell in love with San Ignacio and Santa Elena. I have nothing but love for all these places and the delicious food that we were able to enjoy.
Some of the Restaurants we went to in the San Ignacio, Santa Elena area were.
Wine Smith, The Aguada, Booze and Branches, Hodes, The Spot, The Running W, Papa Bens, The Bluff, Pops, and The Belize Zoo restaurant. I will go into more detail another time on the experiences we had at these locations. We bought food at roadside vendors as well. We visited some places outside of Cayo as we took a trip North to Orchid Bay. Taking the time I cooked some food at our Airbnbs. I wanted to get the experience of cooking there since we will be moving here soon. While I love the food I would not be eating out so much once we move here.
What I learned from this visit is to stop and talk to the local people. If you are adventurous try the food. If you do not know where to go for good food ask someone. Enjoy the culture. If you are still unsure check out some of the tours available that may cater to your needs. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people on Social Media. I went to lunch with a lady named Sandra who runs Sandrasfoodietours whom I found on Instagram and had an amazing lunch. I hope to take a food tour the next time I am back.
We loved the food so much I have been home in Newfoundland now for over a month and I have been making it a point to learn how to make these foods. If at first you don’t succeed try again. I know here in our household our stomachs thank the amazing recipes we have learned from Beautiful Belize.
