8 Best Restaurants in The Cayo District, Belize

Next door to the Hibiscus Hotel, Corkers is run by the husband-and-wife team of Geoff Hatto-Hembling and Sam Buxton from the United Kingdom. To catch any breezes, sit in the covered, open-air patio, or you can dine inside in the cozy air-conditioned dining room. The menu is eclectic, ranging from classic English fish-and-chips and a grilled American cheeseburger with fries to Indian curries, plus pasta, steak, pork ribs, fried chicken, and a nice variety of salads.

Located in a remodeled colonial framehouse on the far end of Burns Avenue, Guava Limb Café serves an eclectic mix of delicious soups, seafood, salads, and local and American dishes that have given it a reputation as the best restaurant in San Ignacio. Run by the owners of The Lodge at Chaa Creek, there's open-air seating and a bar on the first level, while a second-level veranda overlooks Macal River Park. You'll enjoy fresh, artful dishes like herb and garlic pan-seared shrimp with butternut squash bisque and jasmine rice, or glazed spare ribs with potato croquettes.

From the Mayan language, Ko-Ox Han-Nah roughly translates to "let's go eat." It's far from fancy—you eat on simple tables in what is essentially a large open-front building on busy Burns Avenue—but service is cheerful, and the food is inexpensive and well prepared. Much of the food is raised on the farm of the Zimbabwe-born owner. In addition to the usual Belizean beans-and-rice dishes, Ko-Ox Han-Nah serves fusion food influenced by Mexican, Southeast Asian, and North and South Indian cooking, with salads, sandwiches, burritos, Burmese dishes, Cambodian and Korean chicken dishes, and Indian lamb curries.

There's something for everyone and this specialty coffee shop—if you need a nice cup of coffee, you can get it here, but also fruit smoothies, flavorful teas, sweet drinks like salted-caramel cold brew, and unexpected snacks like ancho chile soup or kimchi grilled cheese. Boba lovers rejoice! You can get your popping bubble fix here.

Nothing fancy here, just down-home Belizean dishes at moderate prices, and that's exactly why it's popular. Go for the traditional beans-and-rice dishes or a fish platter; the ceviche is good, too. If you're in the mood for something else, you can get a pizza. It's a couple of blocks off the main drag, so it's quieter and more relaxing here, whether you dine on the veranda or inside in the homey dining room.

Hodes is often the busiest place in town, with its large shaded patio next to a citrus grove, swings, slides, and ice-cream bar (it's much bigger than it looks from the outside). The fried chicken with french fries is some of the best in the Cayo. Prices are very reasonable, and there's a full bar.

The most popular place for breakfast in San Ignacio is here at Pop's, where it's served all day from 6:30 am to 3 pm. You can get an American full breakfast here, but you can also try a Belizean breakfast such as a cheese and chaya omelet, Belizean bacon, refried beans, and fry jacks.

With sizzling spices, this restaurant transforms basics like chicken or pork chops beyond standard fare. Try the pork in brandy-mustard sauce, the coconut chicken, or the piña colada fish. Eat in the casual dining room or out on the covered deck, with views through the vines and flowers. In a residential area off Benque Road, the place can be hard to find, especially after dark so consider taking a taxi.