WRITTEN by JOHN MORRIS
Roatan offers amazing tasty eats in every price range
Anthony Bourdain said, “Good food is very often, even most often, simple food.”
Believe me, I could not agree more.
Having just returned from Italy, the land of divine food, I have to admit I actually found myself missing the varied cuisine available on Roatan.
Crazy right? Not really.
This is no criticism of Italian cooking! I love Italian food, just not all the time. You can only eat so much pasta.
Proof is the popularity of McDonalds in Italy. Sometimes you just need a Big Mac!
Sure, there is a lot of variety in Italy, but simple all-American dishes are not available.
But they are on Roatan… plus so much more!
I was having lunch at Cal’s Cantina yesterday and our small group devoured chicken wings and steak filet like we had never eaten before.
Simple, tasty food, surrounded by Carl’s incredible sauces, hand-cut fries, oven roasted potatoes, sautéed fresh vegetables… finished off with a decadent chocolate fudge brownie, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Perfect.
Here on Roatan, we have Mexican, Tex-Mex, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Italian, Canadian (can you say poutine?), All-American Bistro, Turkish, Spanish, French… and the list seems to be growing.
And get this – you can have most of these delivered to your door!
No, Uber Eats has not made it here… but Roatan Eats has! Go to their website, pick what you want and bingo, 30 minutes or so later delivery is made.
And let’s not forget what is called “Tipico” – typical island food. Fried chicken, conch stew, fried whole fish, baleadas, pastalitos, rice and beans, just to name a few. Cheap, simple and filling.
Believe it or not, some of the best island food can be found at the gas station!
Major fast food chains have not made it here yet, though they tried a Wendy’s but it was just too expensive for most local folks.
Pizza Inn and Bojangles were established here years ago and now we have the USA sub sandwich-making franchise, Blimpie – which was another ingenious move by Eldon Hyde of supermarket fame, among his many other enterprises.
So fear not potential visitors and investors, Roatan has your stomach covered with tasty and varied goodness. The hardest part is figuring out who is open and when.
It is an island after all… and you know what they say about “island time.”
As I type this my stomach has awakened and is growling. And in response, my brain is thinking…
Pig roast at the Roatan Brewery?
Fresh handmade pasta at Pazzo?
Cheese steak at Gingers?
Asian style ribs at Roatan Oasis?
Stir fry at The Wok?
Pizza at Junior’s Patio?
Cheeseburger at Beach Grill?
Spring rolls at Chopsticks & Forks?
Crispy chicken wraps at Sundowners?
Poutine at the Hungover Hut?
A beautiful romantic dinner at Ibagari or Xbalanque?
The choices go on and on.
Perhaps one day Guy Fieri from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives will ship his red Camaro convertible to the island and film. He could keep himself busy here for at least a week!
It’s been said that nothing brings people together like good food.
And that my friends, is the simple truth… around the world and right here on Roatan too!
This Week’s Related Links:
Restaurant Cal’s Cantina for sale on Roatan
Sign up for our weekly blog!
