good restaurants in Cozumel?

Bruce,

My husband and I just got back from Cozumel.  Kim has some good comments I'd like to expand on.....

Kim S. wrote:

>PEPE'S--mainstream, nice place.  Husband said the lobster there was the best
>he had the whole time.  Good salad bar.  Slightly more formal than other
>places.
      Right on the waterfront. Just about the nicest place on Cozumel.
The mariachis were the best we heard (they actually tuned their instruments!) The manager keeps a tight rein on the staff, hence excellent and formal service. We shared a chateaubriand that was fabulous!  They do a lot of that cook at your table stuff which is very popular in Mexico.

>CARLOS AND CHARLIE'S--didn't eat here, but the partying was great; made many
>friends, fun bartenders, fun to dance and get drunk; attracts locals,
>cruisers, divers

      Tourist trap. We didn't go in.  If you are single you may like this place,
just not our scene.  It's on the waterfront as well.

>LA CHOZA--under a palapa roof, incredibly crowded, long wait, but the people
>don't seem to mind.  My husband loved the snapper.  A mariachi band played
>requests. Fun and friendly

      Great authentic mexican food.  Family run restaurant which has expanded
and now has a sister restaurant in Playa Del Carmen.  The mariachi's were great, they had a unique wooden box instrument with metal fingers over a round whole. They called it a marimbo - beautiful sound I will never forget.  I had a fabulous chile relleno - (the best I've ever had and living in S. California my whole life, I've eaten many a chile).  Great garlic soup.  There was no wait at all when we were there, we walked right in and half the place was empty - crowds are very seasonal on Cozumel.

>PIZZA PRIMA--American run, but a great selection of Italan food on an upstairs
>deck under the stars

      Good wood fired pizza.  Great crust, but the tomato sauce was lacking. We also
had a pretty decent tomato and mozzarella salad. The location is nice, on the roof you get a breeze, but also risk being rained on this time of year, not to mention the mosquitos!  Sit near a mosquito coil!  Super service - everyone smiling and having a good time. We noticed that they were somewhat forced to do a good job, there is a closed circuit camera up stairs that broadcasts downstairs to a control booth where I assume the managment sits.

Palmeros - on the waterfront. The only bad service we received on the entire trip.  They are just across the street from the pier and I suspect they get sick of us gringos.

Outdoor Restaurant with bar and patio, between the naval center and the Plaza Los Glorias Hotel.  On the water.  We went here for lunch on our last day and WOW, I wish we had discovered it sooner.  We sat out on the deck and had their Lunch Special.  It started with Lime Soup, excellent broth with chicken chunks, and tortilla chips.  Squeeze a little more lime in it and you're in heaven! Then the entree, three tacos.  The most tender octopus I've ever had, in a sauce of it's own ink. A fried fish taco that was out of this world and to top it off, a Crab taco with an excellent sauce. All this served with toast (they like their toast down there, try to force it on you! :^) Chips and four types of salsa.

Joe's - I think she mentioned this place as a lobster house.  It's around the corner from La Choza.  Outdoor patio, lots of mosquitos.  Unique complimentary appetizers - steamed new potatoes with a green sauce, fresh veggies with another sauce.  I just had soup but it was good.  The best part of this place is the live music at 10:30pm - Reggae, dang good reggae!

Have a good time!  Any other questions? email me directly.

Vickie McCorkendale

try la choza in the main town on cozumel.  have fun.  laurie [email removed]