Owner Rene Reyes meet and chat with President Daniel Ortega.
Caramba! Restaurant had the pleasure of hosting his excellency the President Daniel Ortega Of Nicaragua.
Hi Rene and the gang,
Greetings from Texas.........
Just wanted to let you know that it was a pleasure dining at your restaurant. We had noticed your restaurant for several days but had not chosen it due to the location. Everywhere we picked was on the water front. One night the 4 of us decided to drive our golf-cart to the north end of the island to eat however that was a mistake. HA! We only made it about halfway before turning around. When we got back into town we came upon Caramba's and decided to give it a try. I'm so thankful we did. I have to say it was our favorite meal of the entire trip!!!!! The blackened fish and shrimp in jerk sauce was outstanding. I would recommend your place to anyone who goes there. I'm just sorry we didn't discover it sooner. Keep up the good work and we look forward to eating with you again!!!!!
Sincerely,
Tim & Rhonda, Doug & Latressa
Kemah, Texas
Rene
We visited Ambergris Caye recently, and had the pleasure to enjoy a few meals at your outstanding restaurant. This is probably going to sound like a bogus compliment that you or one of your relatives wrote for advertising, but let me just say it is genuine. Being from a tourist community in Florida I have personally worked and eaten in a number of seafood and other restaurants and I have never tasted mahi, tuna and wahoo prepared that perfect. I honestly can say that was the best meal I have had in a very long time. Taking into consideration the relaxed state one can’t help to be in while vacationing to ambergris; I will still say everything was perfect regardless of the location. The meal in the attached photo is one of my fondest memories of my trip to your great island. Take care and I can’t wait to visit again. You definitely exceeded my expectations!
Sincerely Jon Worthington
Tarpon Springs, Florida
Hello Rene,
I'm a Canadain who has had the pleasure of dinning at your awesome Restuarant on six seperate occassions this year. I will be visting with clients on November 25 - 30 and again with my wife over the New Year holiday's December 30 -- January 8, 2005.
I anxiously await my next visit for more of your hot and cold Crab's!! I'ts actually way better than it sounds...
I will make a point of introducing myself to you , as I plan on many, many return visits. Your one of my favorite Restaurants in the world and I travel and eat a lot!
Once again, thank you for the excellant service and food in the past and I look forward to introducing many new friends.
Kindest Regards,
Daryl Carlson
Calgary, Canada
Dear Rene,
We had a great time in BZ. Your restaurant was one of the highlights of our stay. The service, food, and enthusiastic atmosphere can't be beat!
Thanks for helping make our trip a most enjoyable one.
Most Sincerely,
The 5 dive guys
Hello Rene,
Returning to Houston, my wife and I promised to send a note and let you know we appreciate the service and great food enjoyed at your restaurant. Your story at your website is enjoyable and proves that someone with a goal and through hard work can achieve the goal. We celebrated our wedding anniversary and your staff made us feel like we were on our honeymoon! We brought in fish we caught during a morning trip of reef fishing and your chiefs did a masterful presentation of grilling. We have taken fresh catches to many restaurants around the Caribbean, and put your preparation at the top of the list. Please let us know if you ever want to expand to Houston.
Thank you Ann & Dave
We would also love to have your recipe for fish grilling and spices. I grill fish on our backyard patio when ever I catch some fish, love fresh fish. I promise your recipe will not leave our kitchen.
David Puleo
Rene,
Seven of us from the Chicagoland area came scuba dive and soak up some of the San Pedro sun. We asked our cab driver, Manual to suggest a good restaurant and he recommended Carambas. We were not dissapointed. Everyone of us thought Carambas was our best meal. Great food, great service and a great atmosphere. We look forward to seeing you next time.
Your Chicagoland connection
Hello Rene & Patty;
We LOVE your restaurant! You serve the most delicious veggie fajitas and your coconut rice & beans are the best in the universe... and that's an understatement! We'll definitely be back on our next visit to Belize.
You were out of stock of shirts when we were there- I'd like to order a men's large, in white. I'll send you a check, or give you as credit card, whatever you prefer. Thanks!
Kathy Weaver
Ok, I'm back in the USA, so I'm writing for your delicious ceviche recipe. We came to your restaurant 4 times! I would also like your flan recipe if you give that out. It was the creamiest, best flan I ever tasted.
Jolee Brunton
San Diego, California
Hello Rene,
I have had the pleasure of visiting your restaurant on 5 previous occasions and it is not my nature to write a letter of praise, but.. I can't wait for some of your hot & cold crab's. It's better than it sounds.
I live in chilly Canada and travel to Belize often, your Caramba Restaurant is one of my favorite in the world! It's the Staff and the Ceviche and of course the Stone Crabs! We have been fortunate and dinned each time on the front tables, watching and mingling with the people walking by on the street.
Great atmosphere - Great service - Extraordinary food
Your staff have whipped us up dishes that had catch of the day, Stone Crabs and Lobster. Unforgettable meals!
I'm visiting again November 25 - 30 and December 30 - January 8. I look forward to meeting you, as I expect many returns with friends and family.
Kindest Regards,
Daryl Carlson
Calgary, Canada
P.S. stock up on stone crab!
Hola Rene Reyes,
A group of 7 of us from Austin, Texas visited your restaurant three or four
times over the past few weeks... and loved it! Definitely the best food on
the island. Excellent ceviche, Margaritas, ect. Everything we had was
exceptionally good. You are doing a great job, and you can be proud of your
professional staff. One evening as we left, I asked you if you would share
your recipe for Mayan Sauce which I had with a fish filet. You said to email
you and you would give it to me. I promise not to go into business... (I
have my hands full with the two I already run!), I like to cook for friends
and family, and would love to have this recipe if you are willing to share.
We have an excellent Mexican grocery store (Fiesta Market)here in Austin,
where I can find peppers and spices that most American stores don't have.
Again, we loved your food.
Thanks,
Jim
Dear Rene,
Just missing Belize today and wishing I could spend the day there followed
by
a delicious dinner at your restaurant. I am the single traveler from Las
Vegas who often eats dinner at your restraunt while jouraling my amazing day
I
had in Belize with people I meet there and my Belizean friends. (the one
who's
been to Belize 3 times in 1.5 years.) I wish I could eat Lobster Fajitas
tonight with Conch Ceviche appetizer. Your service and personal attention
you
give to your customers is outstanding. I wish we had service like yours in
Las Vegas. Of course my favorite waiter, Luis, is amazing as well. I miss
Belize, and very much miss Carambas. Thanks for everything!
Keli in Vegas
Hi Rene', We got back to Illinois USA last night. We miss Carumbas already. We were on AC for 8 nights and we ate at your great place 2X. Great circus to go along with the great food and price. Yes I will take a job as greeter for you anytime!! I told my grandson I met Sponge Bob, Square Butt and the four year old is jealous!!
Hope to see you again soon
Larry & Steph
Clare, IL USA
Rene -
Returned home last night from one of the best vacations we have ever had - our week in San Pedro was simply the best ! The absolute highlight of the week was our lunch at your restaurant! The food was great and the pitcher of margaritas wasn't too bad either!! Hope to be back soon!
The Sears and the Krebs
P.S. Tell Hector "thank you again" for the cool ashtray!!
Hello Rene,
My wife and I had the pleasure last week, of eating at your
restaurant three times! You may remember
us. We came in with my wife's brother Ed, who works at Aqua Marina. We
thoroughly enjoyed each visit. My favorite was
balckened Snapper fillet!!!! I eat a lot of fish at home as we live
right
on the coast about ten miles north of Boston, and I
never had better than the Snapper I had at Carambas. I know my next trip
back, the first dinner will be at Carambas. You also have wonderful
staff
on hand that treats all customers as special.
Best Regards, Jack and Rosemary Griffin
Swampscott,Mass.
Hi Rene,
I wanted to email you and thank you for helping to make our recent trip
to Belize a truly memorial experience for everyone in our group. Our
group was made up of SCUBA divers from California, South America, and
Alaska. We booked our Adventure through Roberto and Karen at Ambergris
Divers and they too did an outstanding job for their part of our trip.
It took our group a couple of days to discover your place. After you
and your restaurant was found, it was almost impossible for any of us
to go any place else for our evening meal. (Why take a chance on being
disappointed when you have found the perfect place to eat)?
It was really interesting to me that our group (18 folks) didn't really
communicate to each other in the afternoon where we as individuals and
small sub-groups intended to eat in the evening, but as it turned out
we would all end up each evening (to each other's surprise) at your
wonderful restaurant. I guess we were all more "like mined" that any
of us realized.
I look forward to my return to San Pedro, SCUBA diving with Roberta and
back eating my meals at Caramba's. You have done a great job with your
restaurant. Keep up the good work. You have the best place to eat in
all of Belize!
Warmest regards
Bob Widmann
HEY RENE AND GROUP,
WE ARE BACK IN THE STATES AND MISSING SAN PEDRO . WE WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING OUR VACATION IN SAN PEDRO A GOURMET DELIGHT.!!! WE REALLY DID ENJOY ALL OF OUR MEALS... WE USUALLY NEVER GO TO THE SAME PLACE ON VACATION, AS WE WANT TO TRY DIFFERENT PLACES, BUT WE COULDN'T RESIST COMING BACK TO TRY ANOTHER OF YOUR WONDERFUL DISHES( A TOTAL OF 4 TIMES!!). WE HAVE OUR RECADO THAT WE GOT AT THE GROCERY DOWN THERE SO PLEASE SEND RECIPE FOR CARRIBEAN FISH DISH AND TELL US ANYTHING ELSE WE MIGHT CAN USE IT FOR, AS WE HAVE A BUNCH.
ANYONE PLANNING TO GO TO SAN PEDRO , PLEASE EAT HERE, YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT,, GREAT SERVICE, GREAT FOOD,EVERYONE MAKES YOU FEEL SO SPECIAL, AND THE PRICE IS ONE OF THE BEST ON THE ISLAND DON'T MISS OUT YOU WON'T BELIZE THIS GREAT PLACE!!
CONTINUE TO DO YOUR LAGNAIPPE, ANYTHING GIVEN TO PEOPLE FOR FREE LIKE THE RUM PUNCH AND LOBSTER CERVICHE, ALWAYS MAKES PEOPLE FEEL GOOD....I KNOW THIS IS LONG BUT I JUST CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT YOUR RESTAURANT
JOHN AND SHIRLEY BATTLEY
PASCAGOULA, MS
Hi everybody!
We are back in San Diego, and missing our favorite restaurant and the island!
Thank goodness for your web site so we can take a look at Belize and your menu from time to time. We brought our snapper in to be cooked..and the sauces you selected were sensational!
We hope to be back next year.
The Fink Family
Rene',
Sorry it's taken so long to email you, the US operates on a different
schedule than San Pedro!
We had a great time visiting your island and your restaurant. We really
appreciated your attitude, your companionship your food!
We're going to try your lobster recipe this weekend, but instead of
calling
it 'Tour Guide Special', we're naming ours the 'Bahama Llama'. This is
because the lobsters are from the Bahamas (frozen) and it sounds cool.
That
way we won't infringe on your name. Just kidding.
We hope the remodeling is going OK, and we've told some regulars to San
Pedro about your place, hopefully you'll see them in Jan-Feb.
We hope to come back sometime, and we'll look you up again.
Thanks again for your hospitality,
James, Jan, Mike and Deb
Hi Rene:
Greetings from "The Big Apple," we are back in New York and it has been raining ever since our return, so you know we are missing our favourite island just about now, the great sunshine and the beautiful Caribbean Sea are only a few of the things that have us coming back every year. Anyway, I just had to congratulate you on a great job done on your restaurant. I took the oportunity to take my daughter Pauline and her financee for their first dinner on the island, to Cocina Caramba and they had a wonderful time. If you recall, we took video pictures of the event will be sending you a copy ASAP. The food was great we all enjoyed it. I particularly enjoyed the Crab Legs Dinner. The appetizers were great too and so was the rum punch. Keep it going on!!!
Rene, your friendly, courteous and very happy service with a smile will have many a happy customers coming back for more. So just keep up the good work. We'll be back!!! Looking forward to seeing you guys again next year for my daughter's wedding celebration on the island.
Best Wishes & Success
Joycelyn, Pauline and Eric
Rene, aka Sponge Bob
My wife and I just spent a very fun week on Ambergris Caye. We ate at the
best
restaurants in San Pedro and kept returning (3 times) to Carambas. The
food is
excellent, the service was very good and the prices are very resonable.
During
our next trip to Ambergris we'll eat at Carambas often. I can see why the
restaurant is so busy. Keep up the good work Rene.
Mike and Linda
Rene,
Hello from Texas and California. Just wanted to know if you got our picures I sent to you of us in front of your restaurant. I'm new to sending pics so just wanted to make sure you got them. Also let us know your website you have for your restaurant so we can check it out and refer people to it. I'm a pilot and know several people coming your way. I've already highly recommended your place to two different couples coming to San Pedro soon. Hopefully they'll stop by for dinner. Hope you guys are doing good and enjoying the sun out there!
Your friends,
John Sr. and John Jr. Morgan
Hey,
I tried to email you a while ago but I don't know if you got it. Any way, I was wondering if you could send me your recipe for the Banana smoothies. I have been going through withdrawl without your smoothies.
Your friend (customer),
Abe Spahn (the one from Maine who came in February)
P.S.- If anyone ever asks you what baseball team you like tell them it is the Boston Red Sox.
Hi Rene,
Jay and I arrived home to a snow storm! It has snowed again twice since
then
and it is cold, cold, cold. Oh my, this is just an awful way to begin
spring.
We are back to work and reminiscing about Ambergris Caye. We loved it so
there.
I do so want to have a couple of recipes. One is the flan and the other is
the fish in the foil.
If you send me your address, I will send you the picture that your wife
took
of you, Jay and I together, it turned out well.
Best Wishes,
Nancy
Rene,
The group of us had a great time with you in January..the lobster tail turned out great and the rest of the courses were terrific..or so my friends tell me..I only eat lobster in Belize!! Look forward to seeing you again.
Ron and Joan Stuckey, Bob and Shelley Breslin, Bruce Flesland and Bob Meyen
Rene,
Hi, remember us? Been meaning to send you these pictures for your website. My Dad and I really enjoyed your restaurant and food. Especially your seating outside. Cocina Carambas has the best food on the island...by far! We ate dinner there every night we were there! And even came for lunch right before our flight home for one last meal. Great appetizers and rum and punch too. Keep up the good work and hope to return to your restaraunt soon.
John Morgan (Sr. and Jr.)
Rene,
Just got through reading your add on the internet and you have misjudged yourself.
You are indeed the friendliest restaurant on Ambergris Caye, but your food is second to none. I pride myself on eating in the very best places and I can tell you right now that I found that place in Cocina Caramba. Not only is the food devine (and such a wide variety) but your prices are very very reasonable if not cheaper than anyone on the island. This in my book is a HOME RUN.
Thanks for your friendliness,
CHARLIE AND HIS THREE ANGEL'S
Hi Rene, Patty and Choake,
Just a quick note to let you know what a pleasure it was eating at your
restaurant. You made our trip even more of an adventure. Great food,
service and environment. Look forward to seeing you again. Here is a
picture for you.
Sincerely, Georgia Deeds
Greetings from the frozen north. We are back in Maine and it is even
colder than when we left. It may go below 0 tonight (and that is
Farenheit
not Celsius)!
Finding your restaurant was one of the highlights of our trip. The conch
was the best we have ever had. So good we decided to eat at your
restaurant for our 30th anniversary. When you greeted us as
"honeymooners", it made us feel like it. Sitting outside and watching the
comings and goings and your inter-action with the people was fun. I would
love to have the recipe for your wonderful flan and your ceviche
appetizer. Thanks for 5 wonderful nights of dining pleasure.
Stan and Michelle Moody
Cape Neddick, Maine
Hi Rene,
The only restaurant on the island that we returned to more than once was yours! We forgot you are closed on Wednesdays and were broken hearted when we couldn't have our last dinner with you! You and your brother are doing a wonderful job catering to the tourists. You are friendly, the food is good and your business is spotless. Your personality is so great, you could run for political office! Keep up the good work, your personal service is what makes people feel very welcome and will always come back.
Upstate New Yorkers, the Kahils and Brueckners
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Cocina Caramba is a fine restaurant in San Pedro, Belize. We specialize in Local Mexican & Caribbean food. We are located on Pescador Drive (Middle Street) in
front of Warpaint and San Carlos Pharmacy, just 1 block from Elvi's. Our open hours are from 11:00 am - 2:00 PM (Lunch) and 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm (Dinner). Closed on Wednesdays.
We offer excellent food, the finest service & very clean place.
Our main goal is pamper all our clients.
We will personalize a dinner for you with choices of Fresh Lobster, Shrimp, Fish, Crab Claws, Chicken, Pork, all in a variety with delightful flavor and style.
Hot and spicy
My name is Rene Reyes, owner of Cocina Caramba,
I came to this Island 15 years ago came from the north part of the Belize. I'm Belizean, and I have a family of 4, 2 boys and my wife. My intention was to work hard and be someone on the island, the first place I worked was a few years at Elvi's Kitchen as a waiter, and moved on to floor manager for 7 years. 
I then decided I wanted to take a food and beverage management course and went to South Beach Miami to complete a years course. I ended up working in restaurants on South Beach, and stayed a year and a half and decided to come back to the island. I got an opportunity to work as a resort manager, and did that for couple of years, but still my dream was to have my own restaurant
