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Sorry! We don't have any recommendations for Honduras' Caribbean Coast right now.
Breakfast on the Caribbean coast is much like that of inland cities—rice, beans, tortilla, egg and cheese, or perhaps a baleada (similar to a quesadilla). Dinner is essentially the same, adding a piece of spicy fried chicken or tough beef to the plate. Lunchtime, however, is the delicious exception. Seafood is the natural meal choice, as fishermen haul in fresh fish, shrimp, conch, and lobster just about every day.
The coastal speciality is pescado frito, a fried yellowtail fish served—head, bones, and all—with sides of lettuce, tomato, and slices of fried plantains (tajadas). At many beachfront restaurants, the catch of the day is cleaned and gutted right outside the kitchen before it hits the fryer. Seafood soup (sopa marinera) is flavored and thickened with coconut milk, and filled with yuca, platano, and other local vegetables. Garlicy breaded conch and lobster dishes are equally as popular, although some restaurants decline to serve either of these shellfish as they're locally overharvested. (We recommend not purchasing either for this reason.)
Some kitchens pride themselves on their ola de mariscos (literally, "wave of seafood") platters, which pile every sea critter imaginable onto the same plate, sometimes adding steak. Sometimes conch and lobster are included; if so, you can ask if it's possible to have an ola de mariscos without these overharvested items.
The majority of locally owned restaurants have strikingly similar menus of seafood, fried chicken, and pork chops. Expat-run eateries tend to offer alternative fare such as pastas, pizzas, hamburgers, and Tex-Mex dishes. Both types open early for breakfast, around 7 or 8 am, and close around 10 pm.
Although the northern coast was once the domain of major foreign and local banana companies, coconuts are more prevalent today. Beach vendors slice open the fruit with a machete as loungers gulp the sweet water from the shell. Coconut milk flavors rice dishes, soups, and fish fries. Some local farmers have replaced livestock with exotic orchards full of fruits like the Southeast Asian rambutan; the spiky, fire-red sphere is sold roadside by the bag. Peel back the furry exterior to suck on the chewy, milky-white fruit surrounding a seed (the Chinese lychee is similar but with a smooth exterior). It's not graceful, but it's tasty.
Crispy brick-oven pizzas served in five sizes (try the meter-wide pie!) and savory panzarotti pastries keep this kitchen, owned by Italian expats, busy all evening. Vito churns out homemade dishes from the back, while Sissi flits busily between diners, who she says enter as clients and leave as friends. Indoor, terrace, and sidewalk seating offer a warm and inviting atmosphere, and the bar is stocked with local beers and Italian wines and liqueurs. They open at 4:30.
With a couple of tables out on the sidewalk and a cozy dining room within, this Italian eatery has become very popular. The bruschetta ai pomodori (toasted bread with tomatoes) makes a tasty starter, especially when followed by the pasta alla puttanesca. Imported beers and wines pair nicely with dinner, and grappa or amaretto will bring things to a fine finish. The restaurant also has small sandwich shops in the nearby La Carniceria meat market and at the Muelle de Cabotaje.
Perched on a hilltop just below the Christopher Columbus statue on the Mirador close to Parque Central, this cozy little spot may have the best view in town. Look for signs near the park that point up the road to the restaurant. Enjoy the view with wine or a cold beer, fish, meat and pasta dishes, or little snacks like pupusas and beef brochettes.
This cheery little restaurant is a popular evening hangout for tourists, especially since it has a bookstore and a small art gallery. Casa Azul is known for Italian dishes such as pizza and spaghetti and meatballs. The staff is justifiably proud of the "big clean salads." Honduras Caribbean Tours has its office in the front of the restaurant.
Sambo Creek's best-known restaurant fills up with patrons from La Ceiba on weekends. Once you try the king-crab soup or the shrimp salad, you'll understand why. As a bonus, there's a spectacular view of the Cayos Cochinos. Because the restaurant is so huge, it feels a little deserted on weekdays.
Nestled in the heart of Tela's Garífuna community, this small beachfront eatery in Triunfo de la Cruz is known for its selective lunch menu of genuinely Caribbean dishes. Artisan tablecloths in bold tropical colors top simple tables, and amazing refreshing breezes pass through the tall roof of the bamboolike caña brava. Lunches such as sopa de caracol (conch soup), calamari, and freshly caught mackerel join the rotating menu of Garífuna seafood favorites. The restaurant arranges shuttles to and from hotels in Tela and has six rustic rooms in the back for overnights.
The town's most popular steak house, La Plancha serves up a 16-ounce filete especial that will satisfy the most ravenous diner. There's seafood as well—the shrimp and conch cocktails make a good starter. The service is snappy, whether in the dining room or at the fully stocked bar.
Masapan is a small group of eateries on a downtown corner. The cafeteria has a long, campy, fun buffet that serves many Honduran favorites, including tamales, baleadas, and typical breakfast and lunch plates. It's a great way to sample a variety of local cuisine at one time. Whatever you choose, try a natural fruit juice drink to wash it down. On Saturday, the cafeteria holds a seafood festival; available fish dishes often include a very good sopa marinera (fish soup). Two doors down from the cafeteria there is a Masapan Chicken, with fried chicken and fries, and around the corner is the Masapan bakery, for cakes, breads, sandwiches, and more baleadas.
Diners come from out of town to feast at this second-story champa on the beach. Chef Dante serves hearty portions of Italian family recipes and classic American dishes. His grandmother's lasagna is served once a week with a vinaigrette salad, and brick-oven pizzas come topped with fresh ingredients like roasted shrimp, spinach, and portabella mushrooms. Dante's Best Burger Ever has roasted red peppers, onions, and homemade buns. USDA steaks and barbecue ribs are also on the menu. Two rooms ($$) are available downstairs, and the owners also offer picnics to the nearby natural attractions.
Sit at a long wooden tables right on the sand, or climb the stairs to the third floor for the best breeze. Fresh seafood dictates the menu: try the shelled lobster sauteed with garlic, or the Conch ceviche, if you're an adventurous diner. Fried chicken is also available for those wanting something more familiar. Don’t let the light music trick you into thinking the place has no verve. It’s also a bar with a long liquor list, and drinks that pack a punch.
A glowing reputation around town for great fare precedes this aptly named sushi joint. Weathered-tile floors and wire chairs serve as a simple backdrop to the chef's small sushi stand, where he doles out such unique creations as the Tegucigalpa roll, with shrimp, cream cheese, breaded avocado, and eel sauce. The Mimos roll adds local lobster to lettuce, avocado, and soybean leaf. The restaurant is somewhat hidden off the street but faces the Pizza Hut at the UniPlaza mall and is caddy-corner to the Hospital D'Antonio.
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