Enter Belize

“Oh, it’s you! They said a photographer was coming,” says Gilbert, putting two and two together. I’m at The Guava Limb Cafe in San Ignacio, Belize to take a few pictures and sample some new menu items. It’s a warm day and the sun is bright, occasionally passing behind puffy white clouds that float lazily through the sky. Gilbert is a very capable manager and knows the restaurant and its organization quite well. “Should I tell the chef to make everything?” he inquires. As much as I want to cover the whole table top with amazing dishes, the tropical heat plays havoc with fresh ingredients and garnishes if they sit in the sun too long. “No, lets fire the appetizers first and then we can do the entrees one at a time so they stay as fresh as possible.”

Guava Limb is a true farm-to-table experience; the freshness is the entire point. It would be a shame to have such beautiful food sit in the sun for half an hour while I wander around taking pictures. But that’s never a problem for customers, whose orders seem to disappear immediately. “Right now, Mr. Cash.” Gilbert picks up the phone at the host stand and calls what I presume is the kitchen, speaking in rapid Spanish and naming some of the dishes I’m supposed to shoot. He hangs up the phone and looks at me. “Would you like your martini while you wait?” As much as I absolutely want my martini, discretion is the better part of valor, so I must decline. We need photos in focus. “I better not, Gilbert. Somebody has to be responsible around here.” I look around me at the tables and the guests who occupy them. Every single one of them looks happy.

Every so often you find a place that checks all the boxes and leaves you wanting more, no matter how often you find yourself there. This is the basis of hospitality around the world. Becoming a regular at a well-run restaurant or bar gives you a feeling that’s hard to explain, let alone replicate. You become friends with the staff, know the entire menu, and maybe have a specialty drink order. I’ve been a regular here for close to four years, and can attest to all the box-checking. I first discovered The Guava Limb in 2019, when my wife and I had an anniversary dinner. Belize is a part of the world where tourism and hospitality are still finding their path, and while we were expecting a great experience, we had no idea at the time what lay in store for us. We still talk about our first Guava Limb experience (we miss you Nina!) and recount the meal to our friends and family when they come to visit us. We’ve lived in Belize full-time for four years now, and to call us regulars at Guava Limb might be an understatement. I always say that Ko-ox Han-nah is the best breakfast in town, but for just about every other meal, you can find me at the Limb. Now, they’re celebrating their ten year anniversary and doubling down on their excellence, having brought in a consulting chef from the UK to help reinvigorate their already delicious menu. This is a place that won’t ever rest on its laurels and will always look for ways to improve their offerings. I’m excited to see what the new menu has in store!

“So how did you choose what to keep and what to swap out?” I ask Bryony Bradley, Executive Director of Chaa Creek and The Guava Limb, their sister restaurant. When making menu adjustments, it can feel like adding new items requires an equal number of items to retire. “We didn’t swap anything, we kept it all and added 15 new things! Everything was too popular, so we just made more room on the menu.” This is an ace move from a seasoned professional who cares about the guest experience. As one of the premier hospitality offerings on the planet, Chaa Creek’s renowned sustainability peeks through into The Guava Limb menu as well. Many dishes are made with fresh produce from the 30+ acre organic farm at Chaa Creek, with the cooks and farmers learning from one another to ensure the best ingredients reach the customer with incredible consistency. I had an opportunity to sit down with Chef Celon Butcher, a noted UK consulting chef who was tapped to refresh the menu alongside the cooks here in Belize. I asked him what it was like to try adding a new perspective to a menu that already consists of only great options. “It’s been an absolute pleasure to work alongside so many talented cooks here in Belize to recreate globally inspired favorites with a modern and more innovative touch. Belize is such a melting pot of culture, flavor, and fresh, healthy eating. Our new menu is a reflection of that- authentically diverse and a true farm-to-table process! We’re super proud of it.” He’s clearly the right man for the job.

I’m already fat and happy and kind of warm, ready to slide into my food coma right when the entrees start coming out. Well, until I try the Aromatic Thai Red Curry at least. This one actually has a legit spice to it and wakes me up instantly. For the uninitiated, I would describe this as slightly hotter than “tourist spicy.” The smoothness of the curry complements the heat. Spice doesn’t overtake the flavors but instead enhances them by providing a counterpoint. The side of coconut rice becomes part of the mix as soon as there’s room in my bowl and soaks up the spices along with the curry. WOW. Delicious to the last drop. New Favorite? Perhaps! It’s hard to do spicy well without turning a dish into an episode of The Hot Ones, but this has subtlety and balance, not just heat. I can’t get enough of this stuff.

Bang Bang Noodle Salad seems simple enough at first glance, but then you taste it. What captures my attention most is how delicate the peanut flavor is compared to other ingredients; you can tell time was put into this recipe to get the balance just right. It would be easy to lean too far into the peanut and completely smother the fresh veggies or the noodles, but each individual element is distinct and nuanced. It’s another brilliant success. It’s all I can do to eat the entire damn bowl. I look down for the next bite, but it’s just…gone.

But wait, there’s more. Of the new items, the Korean Fried Chicken Stack is a show-stopper. It packs a flavor wallop from the BBQ sauce but also the Sriracha mayo. The texture combination of slaw, chicken, and toasted bun ties the dish together with flavor and visual appeal. The sweet potato fries complement the meal nicely, offering a pop of color on an already very Instagrammable plate. I’m impressed. Coming from Chicago, I’ve had a multitude of chicken sandwiches, each claiming to be the best. They are wrong. This is the best chicken sandwich. I don’t know what they do to those chickens, but it’s delicious.

The Guava Limb Cafe continues to set the dining experience benchmark in Cayo with its blend of hospitality, innovation, and consistency. Congratulations to the entire team for not only continuing the trend of excellence but actually finding new ways to raise the bar even further. Special thanks to Executive Director Bryony Bradley, Chef Celon Butcher, all the cooks at the restaurant, and my beloved Front of House friends for always making me feel at home and comfortable, even when I’m blocking your lovely patio with photoshoots and wandering around like I live there. You offer an incredible example to the hospitality industry and, in particular, Belize, showing what’s possible with your commitment to excellence. It’s a pleasure to be a regular at a place that never fails to check all the boxes! Congratulations and cheers for another 10 years.