El Patio Restaurant: Tasty Food, Great Service & That Caye Lime Pie

El Patio Restaurant’s amazingly spacious dining area, bar, and lounge have been hiding from me in plain sight. And it wasn’t until I put out the call for “Best Caye Lime Pie” in San Pedro that it really got on my radar. It got the most votes from my readers in an impromptu poll. It was time to visit.

El Patio is a long-standing restaurant in downtown San Pedro – over 20 years old! Sandwiched between Front Street and Middle Street, you may have passed the sign and not realized how roomy and pretty it is inside.

They serve island classics – ceviche, fresh seafood, tasty tacos, jalapeno poppers that I hear are incredible and lots more.

A few days ago, I asked Jeff to meet me there for lunch. My friend Pancho, who has taken over management this year, invited us. Previously, he worked at Truck Stop for 6 years – starting at the most junior level (busboy – or busman?) and then moving up to management. He’s a great addition to any restaurant.

The food was really, really tasty, the service was fantastic, and that lime pie? Well…I’ll get to that! Let me show you my pictures.

El Patio is a large restaurant but set up in a way to make it really intimate. The tables are generously spaced so you have so much room. It’s a great spot for large groups (a table of 15 arrived a few minutes after we ordered) – perfect for business meetings, couples, or…well, just about anyone. I’ll show you.

I can picture bringing my computer to this area during the day for work with a side of pie.

Some pics of the menu. You can order the dinner menu for lunch too…

I want to try the Fisherman’s Soup. I love a seafood soup with coconut milk and rice. So tasty. Or fried conch strips. My fave.

A bit of the dinner menu.

I asked our very attentive waiter what the most popular dishes are. And he said people love the salbutes and the crispy chicken and bacon tacos. I also noticed they were doing good take-out business with locals/folks working in town. He told me that they sell out of stewed chicken every single day. Now that’s a good sign! I’ll take that too.

In case you don’t know the difference between salbutes, tostadas and garnaches or rice and beans vs rice with beans, I wrote this primer. I love salbutes and these are delicious.

And the stewed chicken is falling apart tender and deliciously spiced. I can see why they sell out. I also like the fresh salsa with it…adds a bit of sour that makes everything taste so good.

You might be asking yourself…how could these piggies possibly have room for pie. We did. Hardly. But ordered a slice.

And got two! Jeff balked. He said he only wanted a bite.

And then we finished both slices.

This is not your classic condensed milk custard room temp pie. This is a frozen, ultra-tart, not cloying sweet, creamy like the whipped cream is whipped right in, almost ice cream pie. It’s really refreshing, really delicious. I can see why it got so many votes for best in town.

My first of many over the next few months. I’m excited…and slightly nervous.

What a great meal. And if you are thinking of trying it too, let me recommend it for tomorrow night. The very entertaining Kelly McGuire will be playing there tomorrow night in the evening. It’s one of his last shows in San Pedro for 2024. Make a reservation for a table in this large space that is just about perfect for live music under the string lights with the Caribbean breeze blowing thru.

And to whoever snatched our to-go food from our golf cart later that day (we left it unattended for about an hour), I know you loved it. So good – I don’t blame you (well…not really).

For details, hours and live music information, see their Facebook page. And let me know what you think.