Food

What to eat in Bacalar

The food here leans Yucatecan and southern-Mexican, with a lakeside-town casualness. Don’t come expecting a big dining scene — come for solid regional cooking and a few good waterfront spots.

The dishes to look for

• Panuchos and salbutes. Fried tortillas topped with turkey or chicken, pickled onion and avocado — Yucatán staples, best from stalls and loncherías.
• Cochinita pibil. Slow-roasted, achiote-marinated pork, usually a breakfast and lunch thing. Go early before it sells out.
• Fresh lake and Caribbean fish. Grilled or in ceviche at the waterfront restaurants.
• Marquesitas. The Yucatán street dessert — a crisp rolled crepe with cheese and sweet filling. Sounds odd, works.

Where to eat

• The market and plaza stalls for the cheapest, most honest breakfasts and tacos. A filling plate runs only a few dollars’ worth of pesos.
• Town loncherías and taquerías for lunch and dinner at modest prices — expect a sit-down meal in the low-to-mid range per person (approximate).
• Lagoon-view restaurants for the setting more than the value; you pay a premium for the water, and mid-to-higher prices per person are normal (approximate).

Honest picks

Eat your best cheap meals in town and save the waterfront spots for a sunset drink or one nice dinner. The stalls near the plaza beat the tourist terraces on both flavor and price. Prices above are approximate — the site confirms specifics separately.