6 Best Restaurants in Northern Belize, Belize

Orange Walk Town may be the last place you'd expect to find an upscale restaurant like this, with its Maya-inspired decor, well-prepared food, and extra-friendly servers. Nonetheless, it opened here, on a corner behind the Shell station, to rave reviews. Sit in the tropical gardens in the back and admire the jungle-esque foliage, or sit in air-conditioned comfort in the main dining room and enjoy a cold drink and a delicious shrimp or conch (in season) ceviche appetizer. For a main course try the curry ginger shrimp or one of the Yucatán-inspired dishes such as poc chuc, grilled pork sauteed with onion and sweet pepper and served with corn tortillas. 

Patty's Bistro (sometimes spelled Patti's) serves some of the best food in town, the service is sprightly and friendly, the atmosphere is no-frills, and prices are low. For a local treat, try the hearty conch soup (in season, usually October to late April).

The best breakfast in Corozal is served by Miss June at her home, but there's only seating for about a dozen guests on the open-air patio. Everything is homemade, freshly prepared, and served by Miss June and her family. For example, you can have a delicious breakfast of an omelet, pepper sausage, fried potatoes, warm bread, and freshly squeezed orange juice for about BZ$10. Lunch is delicious, and the entire menu can (and will) be spoken in a few words: likely stew chicken, stew beef, or stew pork, plus a daily special. Delivery is available, brought to you by Miss June's husband on his bike.

A well-run option in Orange Walk Town, Maracas Bar and Grill has one of the town's most scenic settings overlooking the New River—you might even spot a crocodile. Sit in the covered riverside patio or in the air-conditioned dining room and start your meal with an appetizer of shrimp, conch, or lobster ceviche (lobster is available mid-June to mid-February and conch is usually October to late April). Indulge your comfort food cravings with pizza, fajitas, tacos, quesadillas, or a beef or fish burger. Escabeche is offered Sunday only. Occasionally local parties here get loud, but you'll probably be welcome to join the festivities.