I was pleasantly surprised by the food in Roatan. Having never heard anything about Honduran food, I went in with very low expectations. As it turns out, the food is delicious! With a restaurant or food stall seemingly every other building it can be hard to decide where to eat in Roatan. Don’t worry, I got you!
You won’t be disappointed with the food in Roatan, as there are plenty of international dishes, local Honduran foods, vegetarian options, and street food. Whatever you’re in the mood for you will most likely find.
I spent one week on the island (yes I’m already planning a trip back) so this is just based on my experiences with what I ate while out and the conversations I had with locals. There are so many places to eat in Roatan that you could probably spend a few weeks here and not eat at every place. Also, aside from Kristi’s Overlook, everywhere I ate at was in West End.
Where To Eat In Roatan
I didn’t have a single bad meal while in Roatan! The food was fresh, flavorful, mostly cheap, and absolutely delicious!
With only one real national dish, the Baleada, most food you’ll be eating will not be something that Honduras is known for. Let me tell you, Baleada’s are incredible! What is a Baleada? Glad you asked! It is a thick flour tortilla folded in half then filled with refried red beans, Honduran cheese, often eggs and avocado, and you can choose to fill it with various meats. And the great thing about Baleada’s are they are cheap! Usually around $2 USD.
Otherwise, the foods often associated with Roatan are fried plantains, ceviche, jerk chicken, red beans and rice, and you can expect lots of fresh seafood on this island as well if you’re so inclined!
Hondurans love to eat breakfast any time of day, as do I! So you can bet I ate quite a bit of breakfast foods, which I will never complain about.
Where I Ate & Enjoyed
Gingers. The first meal I had in Roatan was at Ginger’s, and it was exactly what I wanted! After 21 hours of travel and one sleepless night in Houston Airport, I was very ready for a fresh, healthy wrap and some crispy fries.
My friends ordered the grilled fish platter and the crispy coconut shrimp, while I ordered the grilled veggie wrap. The food was really fresh.
If you arrive in time for sunset you will be treated to a beautiful view.
To see their menu, you can check out their Facebook page!
Pura Vida. My favorite meal that I ate in Roatan was actually at a Costa Rican restaurant. The Red Beans and Rice will be something I forever drool thinking about. I don’t know how they made every bite burst with flavour, but they did!
One of my friends had the empanadas, while another had the nachos; both of their meals were mouthwatering.
I highly recommend Pura Vida being among your top choices when deciding where to eat in Roatan! You really can’t beat their beachfront location.
Sandy Buns. Oh my goodness, everything here looked great but the stand out are clearly the cinnamon buns! They were perfectly baked, with just the right ratio of drizzle to bun. Absolutely cinnamon buns I will dream of.
The famous cinnamon buns, biscuits, and bagels are homemade and baked fresh daily. Not only open for breakfast, they also have an impressive lunch menu.
Majority of people I met in Roatan asked me if I had been to Sandy Buns, so it is a very popular place!
Seawiches. This place had the best hummus I have ever had the pleasure of eating, but I will say the food took a while to come out and there were only a handful of us in the restaurant. An order of fries took over an hour, so I would recommend that if you go here, and you should because the food is really tasty, just be aware that food could come out sporadically over a long period of time.
But I won’t be forgetting that hummus anytime soon! I also got the fried cauliflower. It was good, but I do think there was too much mayo on them.
Roatan Oasis. This is arguably the nicest restaurant in West End, if not the island. The owner is lovely, the food absolutely divine! You can taste the passion they have for food and craft cocktails. This is one restaurant you don’t want to miss, so be sure to make a reservation!
I loved seeing the herb gardens hanging around the patio that they use for the food and cocktails they prepare.
I had the Beet and Goat cheese tortellini with fresh bread. This bread was so fresh, so soft, so delicious I could have cried. For an appetizer we shared the Fire Cracker Tempura Cauliflower, which was really crunchy, and I think the best fried cauliflower I’ve had yet.
I went with three friends, two of whom got the lamb. They both loved it. Our other friend got the Mahi Mahi (I believe) and really enjoyed it also. The food is hearty, so you will leave with your belly’s full.
Kristi’s Overlook. This was a restaurant I was especially excited to try, as on my first night in Roatan I was introduced to Desi, the owner’s husband. He was very warm and welcoming, and told me I wouldn’t regret eating at his wife’s restaurant.
He was very right!
We went there for lunch on our final full day. Having rented a car to explore the East side of the island, we stopped at Kristi’s Overlook on our way back to the West End.
This restaurant has the best views of all, with green trees in front of several shades of blue. It was just stunning. The food was absolutely delectable, and came quickly.
I got the cheese enchiladas, with a side of rice and refried red beans. One of my friends had the Birria tacos and said they were incredible. Our other friend got the chicken tacos and said they were fresh and delicious. I also enjoyed a very fresh and light watermelon margarita.
This restaurant is well worth the drive.
Blue Marlin. My favorite local watering hole in West End, Blue Marlin is owned by the owners of dive shop Reef Gliders, they serve breakfast and lunch to grab something to eat before or after a dive. They have mostly American food, with the exception of the Baleada that I ate there. As a vegetarian I was pleased as they had quite a few options.
This place has a very relaxed vibe, and is a great place to watch the sunset. On Thursdays they even have karaoke, if you’d like to sing on their outdoor, covered deck.
Yahongreh? The first place I tried my beloved Baleada. This place is close to the dive shop where I got open water certified, so was ideal for a quick lunch. They serve breakfast, fresh juices, smoothies, and Baleadas. They are only open until 2 pm, so this is a great breakfast or lunch place.
Yahongreh is cash only, so make sure you have some!
Anthony’s Chicken. Known for their chicken that is cooking on site all day, this place is popular! We went and ended up waiting close to two hours for our meals, but the food was great, so it was worth it! The owner Rosie was constantly smiling, you can tell she loves her work.
Since I am vegetarian, I had the beans, rice, tortillas, eggs and avocado. But my friends both ate chicken and loved it.
Anthony’s Chicken is cash only!
Where I Didn’t Get To Eat But Hope To When I Return
Creole’s Rotisserie Chicken. I heard fantastic things about this place. With a reputation for having some of the best chicken on the island, I wasn’t expecting them to have so many options for sides or desserts!
This is another cash only place!
Loretta’s Island Cooking. This is a tiny outdoor restaurant with only four tables, but known for the incredible homemade meals. The menu is extensive, but really relies on whatever is fresh that day.
The seafood here is some of the best on the island, and you’re allowed to bring your own alcohol.
Cafe Escondido. I am a touch salty I never got to go here, considering they are known for great coffee, and is located right beside my hotel. So many people mentioned visiting here and how good the smoothies are.
The one time I went to go they were closed, so unfortunately I never got to try their iced coffee or their smoothies. You can bet I will be going here when I go back.
I would like to give an honourable mention to Roa Market. They were a minute or so walk from my hotel, Splash Inn, and had everything from water to alcohol, ramen to toilet paper, ice cream, after sun care, truly it was a great little convenience store. I went multiple times per day.
The food in Honduras is clearly good, so no matter your choice in where to eat in Roatan, I think you’ll find yourself with a good, fresh meal.
