EL ORIENTE AND IZABAL - Guatemala - page 404

FOOD
Bruno's Hotel and Marina (tel. [phone], www.mayaparadise.com , 7 A.M.-10 P.M.
daily) is especially popular with boaters for its varied menu of international dishes and
snacks in the $5-10 range as well as its TV news and sports in an open-air dining room
rightbythewater.Therearepancakes,omelets,andhashbrownsforbreakfast;burgersand
ribs for lunch and dinner. Just up the street, Restaurante Río Bravo (tel. [phone], 7
A.M.-10 P.M. daily) serves a similar menu, including good seafood, pasta dishes, and piz-
zas ($11) on an open-air deck over the water. There's a full bar and it's a popular place for
meeting fellow travelers. Along the same side street, Sundog Café (tel. [phone], $3-6)
has delicious hot sandwiches, including an avocado melt, baguettes, and pastrami sand-
wiches. There's a 5:20 happy hour and it is the local booking agent for sailing trips aboard
“That,” a 62-foot trimaran.
JustwestofthebridgeatMarinaXalajaandservingauthenticMexicanfoodis Las Mex-
icanas (tel. [phone], noon-8 P.M. daily, $5-8), which has quickly become a town favor-
ite thanks to the culinary prowess of the Mexican sisters who run it.
Whether or not you're staying at Hacienda Tijax (tel. [phone], VHF channel 09,
www.tijax.com ) , it makes a great place to eat for its rugged jungle ambience and deli-
cious sandwiches, seafood, salads, pasta, and steak dishes in the $5-13 range served in an
airy high-ceilinged palapa structure. It brews excellent coffee and has a full bar. Farther
out this way, about two kilometers downstream from Río Dulce, is Mario's Marina (tel.
7930-5569/70, www.mariosmarina.com ), which has a restaurant/bar that is popular with
thesailingcrowdandservingavarietyofseafoodandinternational dishes.Barpatronscan
browse the topic exchange or enjoy a game of darts.
West from the Río Dulce bridge toward the Castillo de San Felipe, the restaurant at
Tortugal (tel. [phone] or 7742-8847, VHF channel 68, www.tortugal.com , 7 A.M.-10
P.M.)isworthastopforitsdeliciouslyprepared,creativemenuoptionsandsuperblocation
right on the water away from the noise and traffic closer to town. Prepared using fresh
ingredients, the menu includes a harmonious blending of authentic Guatemalan cuisine
with American and European flourishes. Dinner options range $5-12 for items varying
from a quarter-pound barbecue burger to seafood stew. It's also a great place for breakfast
($2.50-6) or lunch ($4-6). The bar here serves some excellent cocktails that you can en-
joy along with the gorgeous jungle river scenery. There's always something on special for
$2.50, served in a large cocktail glass.
INFORMATION AND SERVICES
An excellent source of information on all things Río Dulce is the Río Dulce Chisme-Vin-
dicator ( http://riodulcechisme.com ) .