Blue Water Grill Restaurant of the Year 2009

A restaurant review at the famous Blue Water Grill has eluded us for quite some time, but as the famous saying goes, “Good things come to those who wait”, and we must say it was definitely “Worth the Wait”.

After having won the Taste of Belize Restaurant of the Year 2009 earlier this year, we could not let this year go by without having dined at The Blue Water Grill. The award was well-deserved and we only have great things to say about the food, service and great outdoor atmosphere of the restaurant.

Kelly Kanabar owns and operates three restaurants in San Pedro, notably the Blue Water Grill that has garnered the prestigious Restaurant of the Year award from the Belize Tourism Board. Even with her hands full she manages to keep each restaurant’s menu exciting and fresh with food that speaks wonders of the culinary diversity of Belize.

Blue Water Grill is located beachfront at the Sunbreeze Hotel in downtown San Pedro, where its large dining deck overlooks the beautiful shore and blue waters of our Caribbean Sea; always enjoying the cool trade winds while you dine.

We enjoyed delicious Fukacha bread, consisting of cheese and basil, while we waited on the appetizers to be served. Blue Water Grill’s signature Coconut Shrimp came first – shrimp standing on skewers above a sweet black bean sauce topped with stringed carrots; the taste is as impressive as the presentation. In contrast to the sweet shrimp, what followed was crispy fried Calamari with a spicy Japanese aioli (garlic mayonnaise) and pickled ginger; both are great to kick start the appetite.

Our dinner consisted of four amazing entrées which included chicken, tuna, snook and lobster, each perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection and complemented with exquisite side orders and garnishing that brought out the flavor of the dish.

The stuffed chicken breast went along perfectly with the pesto whipped potatoes and an artichoke, tomato and roasted garlic chardonnay reduction, while the sweet teriyaki tuna was well complemented by the rice cakes and stuffed zucchini.

A savory caramelized banana curry sauce topped the crusted black bean snook, while garlic butter infused the sweet grilled lobster tail that was served with steamed vegetables and a baked potato.

After such a hearty meal and enjoying such great flavors, it is no wonder why Blue Water Grill was recognized by the Belize Tourism Board with the Restaurant of the Year Award. But food aside, Blue Water Grill concentrates on exceptional service to its clientele – from the waiters’ service, the bartender’s drinks to the restaurant host making sure everyone is very well taken care of.

Kristian Guerrero is the master mixer behind the bar, creating excellent drinks with names like the Naked Iguana, Rum Punch Kick and Slap, Purple Rain, Orange Drop and the Horny Monkey! Kristian surely knows his way at the bar – a great “Mixologist’.

Here’s a look at dessert; after a great meal how could we skip on dessert? i) a Flourless Chocolate Cake that is Heaven for dark chocolate lovers (topped with vanilla ice cream. ii) an Apple Crisp that is not too sweet but perfectly seasoned with cinnamon and sugar. iii) Silky, creamy, luscious, caramelized...all words that describe their Crème Brûlée, iv) and a Key Lime Pie that deserves an award of its own, the best yet!

“One way to describe the Blue Water Grill is a Caribbean beachfront restaurant that works hard to serve delicious food and provide excellent service every meal, every day,” commented Kelly McDermott Kanabar. “At the same time, we are also a group of friends who care a great deal about each other and our customers. We consider ourselves a family, and it is our goal to make every guest at our restaurant feel like a part of that family.”

More great things are in store for Blue Water Grill as host Janine Lopez explained that they are adding more great items to the menu, revamping the existing menu and boosting up service at the restaurant; we can hardly wait!

Blue Water Grill is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7a.m. to 9:30pm. You can learn more about the restaurant on their website www.bluewatergrillbelize.com, Facebook page or call 226-3347.

*Grilled Lobster Tail - Topped with garlic butter, and served steamed vegetables and baked potato
*Black Bean Crusted Snook - with steamed rice, wok vegetables and a caramelized-banana curry sauce
*Boneless Chicken Breast - Stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes, smoked ham, sweet basil, and feta cheese served with pesto whipped potatoes and an artichoke, tomato and roasted garlic chardonnay reduction
*Teriyaki Grilled Tuna – Sweet Tuna Steak served with coconut rice cakes and zucchini stuffed with fresh tomato salsa