Isla Mujeres, Mexico Means GOOD Eats: Barlito and Rooster Cafe

I’ll repeat it because it is so true.  For such a small island (barely 5 miles in length), Isla Mujeres has some amazingly delicious eats.  It CERTAINLY helps that almost everything tasty that can be grown is grown in Mexico.  It’s a huge populous country with all sorts of altitudes and abundant sunshine.  As I always shout out –  VIVA LA MEXICO.  It’s one of my favorite countries in the world.  And certainly one of the most fun to visit.

In my last post, I ate gelato and at the gorgeous Mango Cafe located mid island.

Now let’s stay in El Centro, where you, if you are staying in a hotel, are most likely staying.  My very first morning there I woke up with a strong coffee craving.  The same craving I always wake with.  I left my hotel and walked and walked and walked.  6:45am and it was just me and the stray cats.

If you are a cat lover (or even liker), you are going to love the cats in Isla.  San Pedro has its beach dogs (the ones that follow you home at night to make sure you are safe and ask you to share your BBQ when you eat in the park), Isla Mujeres has a handful (or three) of street cats that lounge around like they own the place.  PARTICULARLY in the morning.

As I was about to have a no-caffeine freak-out because NOTHING WAS OPEN, I found Rooster.  And smelled coffee….ahhhhh….

And inside, this was all I needed to see.  Freshly baked muffins…a yummy coffee menu…

Desserted at 7:15…This sign sealed the deal.  Back tomorrow for breakfast.

And when I returned, it was better than I thought.  I am a HUGE fan of eggs benedict (I mean seriously…who isn’t?) and this selection is impressive.

There’s also a ton of other delicious looking things on the menu.  Creamy oatmeal with a brulee top?  That sounds like heaven to me.  I went for the Mayan Benedict.  I ordered cappuccino and fresh baked Rosemary-Cranberry bread arrived.

As you can imagine, I was incredibly happy.  And then my eggs benedict…I had already eaten some at this point…

So yummy.  Rooster is my favorite favorite spot on Isla Mujeres.  I was ALMOST tempted to get a t-shirt.

Oh yes…and the other side of the sign.

I spent the morning at the beach with Tarzan (well…not actually speaking to him but NEAR him)…

Sandy and hungry, I walked the pedestrian street back to my hotel and stumbled upon Barlito.  Sandwiches…mmmm….it’s one of the food groups that I crave most while living in San Pedro.  You can’t get a good cold deli sandwich.  Huge fresh salads?  Bagels?  This sign was speaking to me.

Inside I met the owners (a couple from the US but both have been living on the island for over 10 years) and ordered this intriguing looking sammie special.  Daryl Adler, I later found out, is a local sea glass collector and artist.   Awesome.  Here’s his website:  Isla Mujeres Seaglass.  Apparently I need to return to the island for the monthly art fair to meet him and see his work.

In the meantime?  I can eat the sandwich.  Fresh delicious bread, HUGE and really really good but what I will be returning for is the beets.  I might travel to Mexico for these beets.  Not sure what they did to them…definitely some sort of balsamic glaze but they are like candy.  MAN…delicious.

Barlito is a good place to chat with the owners, some expats that wander in, eat great food and watch the world wander by…

Isla Mujeres has fantastic food.  No question about it.   You can eat cheap at the side street vendors or expensive (though not overwhelmingly so) at fancier restaurants.

You can do creative cocktails…

You can do fresh seafood on the beachfront…

 You can do French or Italian or Cuban…

 

What I’m trying to tell you is that you have SO MANY OPTIONS.  (This place below “La Tablita Hemingway” is a local bar worth seeking out if you want to hang with the locals…)

But for me, it was time to head to the Cancun airport and off to Providence, RI.  I’ll be back!

Both Barlito and Rooster are located on Calle Hidalgo the main pedestrian thoroughfare.  And for those wondering about slow or low season closings, there are a few…but not many.  There are more than enough great restaurants for your to chose from…

 

Let me know what restaurants I missed PLEASE!  I can’t wait to go back.