Elvi's Kitchen
CITY GUIDES
The Best Restaurants in Belize, From Border Towns to Beachfront Seafood Staples
By Eric Barton | Feb. 6, 2026
AUTHOR BIO: Eric Barton is editor of The Adventurist and a freelance journalist who has reviewed restaurants for more than two decades. Email him here.
My trip to Belize began with a road trip, from the airport in Belize City, through the scrub brush and swampland and the impossibly knobby mountains that rise up like massive mango roots. We ziplined, tubed through caves, explored a Mayan pyramid, and then flew east out to the islands, sandy strips of land in impossibly blue ocean waters.
Along the way, I kept doing the same thing: asking locals where they actually eat. I followed the smoke from grills. I ate tacos late-night in the glow of fluorescents. And I started the day the way Belizeans do: stuffing eggs and creamy refried beans into fry jacks.
From the best roasted pibil to seafood that was swimming that morning, here are the best Belize restaurants, the places I will build my next trip around.
Benny's Kitchen, San Jose Succotz
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This is the kind of open-air Belizean restaurant that feels more like you’ve been invited into a local’s home. The menu leans into Mayan and Belizean staples: we started with salbutes, fried tortillas topped with flavorful stewed chicken and incredibly fresh pico. From there, I went with the pibil, the slow-cooked, achiote-stained pork that showed up with rice and beans and thick tortillas burning hot from having just come off the comal. There’s good options for vegetarians too: my traveling partner ordered eggs sauteed with leafy greens that might have been the tastiest thing on the table.
Best for: A flawless Belizean lunch before or after the ruins
Chef Juan's Kitchen & Pastries, Caye Caulker
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This one has the rare double threat of a full lunch-and-dinner menu that can also end in pastries. There’s plates like jerk fish and grilled whole spiny lobster, all served with slaw and rice and beans. The overall vibe is straightforward and unfussy: order, sit, eat, then seriously consider a slice of whatever Juan baked that day, including the island’s best Key lime pie.
Best for: A casual dinner that ends in pastry
Cool Beans, San Pedro
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Cool Beans sits on a dock stretched into the cerulean sea, so breakfast here includes stunning views from inside or from the little stretch of outdoor seating. Order the fry jacks with beans and eggs, the seafood Benedict, or the lunch items like barbecued wings, seared tuna, and burgers.
Best for: A solid brunch before the beach takes over the day
Elvi's Kitchen, San Pedro
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Ask someone who just got back from Belize for their favorite restaurant, and there’s a good chance Elvi’s name comes up, because it leans into Mayan and Belizean roots. The kitchen makes good use of fresh seafood, both stewed or simply grilled or fried, and the overall feel is classic, established, and busy enough that reservations become less of a suggestion at dinner.
Best for: A classic San Pedro dinner that still feels local
Lagom Terrace, Belize City
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This rooftop bar is an escape from the busy street level, with obvious perks: views, drinks, and a soundtrack that sets the tone. The food reads like smart bar fuel—pork pibil, big bowls of ceviche, and grilled beef tacos. There’s a good chance that sunset cocktails turn into an all-night idea.
Best for: Sunset drinks and something to soak them up
Lily's Treasure Chest, San Pedro
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This was the last stop on the excellent Belize Food Tour that took my traveling partner and I to several excellent, hidden spots in San Pedro, and it also ended up being my favorite. They sent out big plates of fresh ceviche that’d be perfect sitting out on one of the beachfront tables. It’s fresh fish and lobster that you’ll see mostly on other tables, simply grilled with rice and beans or in a rich coconut curry.
Best for: A beachfront lobster feast
Maxie's, San Pedro
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Maxie’s might look like a modern big-city restaurant, but the dishes are still very much rooted in Belizean recipes and ingredients. The menu moves between seafood and Latin-leaning plates, with fresh catch and grilled whole lobsters the real stars. It’s maybe the most polished San Pedro restaurant without losing the vacation mood.
Best for: A dress-up-for-dinner night out that stays on island time
Pupuseria Salvadoreno, San Pedro
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Pupuseria Salvadoreno does the simple thing well: pupusas cooked to order, browned on the griddle. The rest of the menu stretches into fajitas, carne asada, burritos, and ceviche, but the energy stays focused on fast, filling food and regulars who know exactly what they came for.
Best for: A quick pupusa lunch
Reina's, Caye Caulker
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The move at Reina’s is what’s coming off the barbecue: lobster in season, plus chicken, pork chops, and fish. They’re finished with jerk or curry flavors that hit the table that waft to where you’re sitting. It’s dinner built around smoke, patience, and the belief that the wait is part of the story.
Best for: A grilled dinner worth standing around for
Traysha’s Grill, Belize City
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This was the first meal I had in Belize, a spot our driver took us to right after we arrived, and it was also the best thing I ate on the entire trip. Traysha’s operates out of a tiny building just down the highway from the airport, and the picnic tables in her charming yard fill with both tourists and airport workers on their breaks. The specials lean into Belizean comfort: curry shrimps, steak fajitas, pig feet, baked chicken—plus pepper sauce that turns a lunch into a minor event. Traysha urged me to order the gibnut, but I’ll admit I was skeptical of its description as the “royal rat,” so I went instead for the stewed pork, which came in a spiced gravy I wanted to bottle and take home for later, served with rice and beans, plantains, and potato salad. Traysha’s is proof that the best meals begin with something simple: somebody who can cook like the best of chefs.
Best for: A hearty Belizean lunch on the move
The Truck Stop, San Pedro
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The Truck Stop is a shipping-container food park that solves the nightly San Pedro problem—nobody agrees on dinner—by letting the table scatter and reconvene with tacos, noodles, and pizza. Start with queso birria tacos and consommé from Sol Fresca, add wok-fried pork dumplings or pad thai from Rasa, and then order ice cream from Cool Cone, ideally in milkshake form. The vibe is lagoon-side and activity-forward, with a saltwater pool, a beer garden, and a calendar of trivia, movie nights, and live music that turns “just grabbing dinner” into an evening.
Best for: A group meal where everyone gets what they want
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