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Our Belize City & Rum Factory Tour started fairly early in the morning. It was a two hour, give or take, tour and we knew that it didn’t include food. We were on our own and in a foreign country you pretty much only have foreign choices. You’re kind of at the mercy of a travel guide or the locals to tell you the best places to eat and hope you don’t get sick. *kidding* Since we had an amazing tour guide from the Belize City & Rum Factory Tour, we asked Cardinal where would be the best place to eat in Belize, as in where do the locals go. His answer? Ms Pattys, hands down the best Belizean food in the City. As we drove past, entering the cruise terminal breezeway, he pointed out a little shack off to the left. Shack was a really good description. He made sure to direct us to the left half of the shack. Yes, you heard that right; a shack divided in two.
The Food
When you walk up to the shack you begin to smell the deliciousness cooking inside. The handwritten menu showcases what plates are available. The Belizean staple of red beans and rice is in all of the dishes. On this day, we had the lobster tails and a plate of chicken. The lobster was fresh and cooked in a deep red sauce, called recado or anchiote, that was flavorful and had a slight spiciness. The lobster was already cut so the shell would slide off easily. There were two tails per plate which was plenty to feed two people. The meat was tender and sweet, some of the best lobster I’ve ever tasted. The chicken was cooked in the same type of sauce and was so tender it fell off the bone. The plates included another Belizean staple, plantains along with some potato salad. The beans and the rice were the perfect compliment to the sauce; soaking up every last bit of it. The potato salad was light and was the perfect side dish to these plates.
The only picnic table in front of Ms. Patty’s had a group of three ladies sitting at it. Side note; I’m an introvert by nature and never was a fan of sitting with other people while I ate. (I’ll save that for another time) These ladies were kind enough to let the four of us share the table with them. We learned they were from Florida and were on the other cruise ship. We talked about their experience in Belize and how their ship was comparatively. They were on a different course than we were; their ports were the reverse of ours. They filled us in on Roatan Island and we did the same of our adventures in Cozumel the day before. While our paths may never cross again, sharing conversation and laughs made the day that much more fun.
When You Go
Ms Patty’s is not fancy and go early to get a good selection of her daily delicacies. There is no Facebook but her place will show up on a Google search. Skip the other talked about restaurants and head right here. It’s affordable ($7 is what we paid for the lobster meal) and you won’t be disappointed. I can’t guarantee there will be lobster, but what I can guarantee is that you’ll get an authentic Belizean meal and you’ll eat like a local. Isn’t that what traveling is all about? If you’re not already subscribed to our monthly newsletter make sure you add your email. January is going to spotlight all the things in Belize including a recipe using the Belizean anchiote paste! Want to see more of our trip? Follow me on Instagram!
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