My Favorite Nachos on Chilly Ambergris Caye: Carlo & Ernie’s Runway Sports Bar

Best Nachos on Ambergris Caye

A few nights ago, a cold front blew into Belize.  Now before you suck your teeth and exclaim – “cold?  this person does not know cold!” and message me about it being below zero where you are…remember…please…that cold is relative!

View on the beachfront

The folks of Belize (at 17-18 degrees north latitude) are accustomed to a trade wind from the sea (an easterly breeze) and temperatures that stick between…78 and 90.  Year round – day and night!

Yesterday evening, a very cool north wind was blowing, the humidity dipped to about 70% (LOW for San Pedro)…and the temperature fell to the high 60s on Ambergris Caye.  (You can check the current situation and forecast on Windfinder)

I don’t remember how to calculate standard deviations or variances or population samples…but let’s just say that for San Pedro?  That is damn cold.

But as you – from the far north-  know, the weather is what you wear.  That’s right:  there is no bad weather, only bad clothes.

And yesterday locals were all bundled up.  Long sleeves, jackets, hats, long pants.

I needed cold-weather comfort food and a seat in the sun – and I knew EXACTLY where to get it.  Carlo & Ernie’s Runway Sports Bar.  Nachos.  The best I’ve ever had.

There’s just something about nachos.  Everyone loves them, every eatery on the island makes them, they seem so simple…

But it seems like they are all too often…well…just not that good.  A few weeks ago, Jeff and I ordered nachos at a beach bar that we’d never visited before, and they came…without cheese.  No cheese of any kind.

I mean WHAT THE HECK?  There are two critical ingredients in nachos.  Crunchy chips and melted cheese (never cheese sauce, I beg you).

But Carlo and Ernie’s make one super-important adjustment – they use FLOUR tortilla chips.  And the result – my favorite nachos on the island.

Carlo & Ernie’s is on the runway – just south of Tropic Air terminal.  A fun place to wait for a flight to come in…or just watch the planes coming and going…and to watch some sports – if that is your thing.

Or to wave to friends and family as they leave…

Lots of picnic tables and bar tables and seats around the bar.  Plenty of TVs…and…a super bowl square thingy.

But we were there for the nachos.  They’ve got lots of bar favorites…

I’m into it.  Cheesy fries?  Chimichangas?  I do NOT want a salad at a sports bar.

But I also don’t want bad nachos.  We ordered the chicken nachos and were…very happy.

It’s all about the fried crispy flour tortillas chips.  Just like that shell on a taco salad…delicious.

Lots of cheese – great chips.  I’m in heaven.  All that cheese also hides the yummy BBQ beans and chicken shreds.

Even if there is a dry chip left – it’s fantastic.  The chips and the cheese are amazing.

Not a meal eat alone – or eat every day.  But when you crave nachos…you want them to be great.

And these are great.

For more information on Carlo & Ernie’s – THE spot to watch football or man-fighting (sigh…boxing or UFC)…see their Facebook page.  

And order the chicken nachos.