Food and Drink in Cozumel?

[stillfrantic]

Do people eat and drink in Cozumel, or not? Maybe I should have done as a poll.

Anyway, do people eat in the restaurants and drink bottled drinks, or avoid all food also? What about drinks that have ice in them? My questions regard regular restaurants, not vendors along the street or beach.

[DFD1]

I've been going to Cozumel from time to time for 25 years. No problem eating in the restaurants along the front street and around the main square. Bottled water is available if you ask. One of my favorite "fun" restaurants in the whole Caribbean is Las Palmas, on the square across the main street from the city pier. Huge Margaretas (sp). Great fun to sit there right next to the sidewalk having lunch and drinks while watching all the people going by. On the other hand, I would not eat in the smaller local restaurants located back in the town away from the square. They may be fine, but not for me. Have FUN! DFD1

(28 cruises on 22 differents ships since 1966)

[iluvcruzin]

We ate nacho's and drank margaritas in Cozumel this past April at Paradise Beach. We had no problems at all.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

We do not eat or drink in Mexico.

Even though many of the BETTER restaurants have ice machines - do you know where the water that goes into those machines comes from?

:)

[superstein61]

Yes - I love Mexican food - and we always eat and drink in Cozumel - Never have had a problem. Just go to a reputable restaurant or bar. Now a roadside cart would give me pause - but not any of the places tourists frequent

My wife still raves about the Margarita's from Nachi Cocum

[hdawson]

I always eat and drink in Mexico. Any place that caters to tourists are using purified water or at least using ice from ice plants that have a system. Sancho's, Pancho's and most other places are fine for eating and drinking. Even in Merida and Progreso I've had great food. This is not the 1950's and noone is kealing over dead.

[sail7seas]

We never eat or drink anything when we are ashore in Cozumel.


We go back to the ship for lunch or skip it entirely.

[blndee77]

We ate at Carlos and Charlies the last time we were in Cozumel. Thought we would try a chain because it seemed safer and was right across from where we docked. Food was ok. Service was bad.

It gets a little wild there even at lunch. Waiters played tricks on patrons, poured shots down their mouths and spanked them. (I was surprised as the people involved were in their 50s and in my later 20s I will not even do those things anymore!)

[Roadwork]

Some of the best food and Margaritas we have had, was in Mexico. PV has the best shrimp in the world. Having lunch in a nice restaurant is on the top of my list of things to do when taking a cruise to Mexico.

[TT]

Stillfrantic about 4 months ago I asked the same question and I do see it listed here about Pancho's Backyard. They have a web site and you can print out coupons for free Margaritas and menu's. I forgot who mention it but if you need coupons I am bringing more with me. I would like to know about food at our next port also. Are you asking that one or should I? Stillfrantic, by the time the cruise comes we will be old pro's or make that young pro's.

[CruisinMatt]

I was in Cozumel in March. We played mini-golf and browsed the shops. I try not to eat in Mexico if I don't have to. I did buy a bottle of Pepsi Light to bring back to the ship however.

[Jacqueline]

I have stayed in Cozumel in an apartment in the past in addition to the cruise stops there.
All of the restaurants and beach clubs use water that is purified for drinking, rinsing vegetables and so on.
Tap water there is not potable for anyone.
Local restaurants - and we ate out extensively- use purified water for food prep as a part of their normal procedures,
(Cozumel survived until lately without being a port of call but as a scuba destination.)
I would have no reservation at all ordering off the menu anywhere. Our apartment was way back off the main strip and I ate from food from local vendors without any problem, as did my daughter and the folks in the three other apartments in our house.

[Wksskier]

Years ago I got very sick in Cancun and I had been extremely cautious. However, I have eaten and had drinks in Cozumel, Playa del carmen and Ixtapa without any problem at all and I wasn't all that cautious. Go figure : )

Carole =^..^=

[Globaliser]

It is very difficult to go to Carlos and Charlie's and not drink. :D However, it's difficult to see the attraction of consuming anything else there.

[JohnR49er]

Have never had a problem there. If my stomach survived it they must be doing something right. I can't go to Taco Bell without some major problems.

[elmorejj]

I spend four weeks a year in Mexico and have never had a problem. Everything and every place now use purified water if they are catering to tourists. They wouldn`t stay in business long if they didn`t. In Coz. we either eat at Panchos backyard or Carlos N Charlies....no problema!!...jean :cool:

[dexter]

Been to Cozumel numerous times and I just learned from a post that they serve food...you must be joking. I have never been beyond the menu where it says "MARGARITA JUMBO"!!! I'll never forget last year. My wife got a bit tipsy and the waiter stamped her back with one of those menu stamps that they stamp the table cloth with. She walked around San Miguel all day like that. If you drink one of those Margaritas be very careful that you don't forget where your ship is docked.

[MeAbFab]

On my last cruise to Cozumel, the Cruise Director on our ship warned us all not to drink the water, but noted that the amount of alcohol in any iced beverage is so high, that it pretty much kills everything icky in the drink. We ate and drank liberally, and everything was excellent... some of the smaller "off the beaten path" type restaurants are truely the BEST mexican I've ever had! No one that I know of got ill in Cozumel, although a number of people did miss the ship sailing.

On that same tangent, he also reminded us to stay up for the "best show of the cruise"... which was standing on the deck and watching people stumble back along the pier to the ship ;-)

[Globaliser]

On my last cruise to Cozumel, the Cruise Director on our ship warned us all not to drink the water, but noted that the amount of alcohol in any iced beverage is so high, that it pretty much kills everything icky in the drink.I wouldn't take that advice about alcohol level at face value - I suspect it was probably meant as a joke. You have to be drinking close to neat spirits for that effect to be reliable.