Have you ever been on vacation when you discovered a place so perfect yet very much under the radar that you didn’t want to let anyone in on the secret spot you found? After all, too many tourists can sometimes ruin a good thing. For that reason, I had been reluctant to blog about the Pickled Parrot Bar & Grill in the Belizean coastal town of Placencia. I want this place to be just as idyllic upon our return as when Punky and I first found it a few years ago.
To say the Pickled Parrot is secluded would probably be an understatement. You definitely need to look for the signs to find the right path that crosses between the Placencia Sidewalk and the one main road that divides the town. If you’re coming from the sidewalk, you’ll likely see this small sign beside an open-air building with a thatched roof.
Or, if you’re coming from the road, walk past the Tutti Frutti Gelato and a couple of other restaurants down the path toward the sidewalk. Soon enough, you’ll see this more obvious entrance to the Pickled Parrot. The daily lunch special will be prominently feature on the chalkboard.
Either way, you’ve arrived at a special piece of paradise in the heart of Placencia.
As the laminated bar top will tell you, the Pickled Parrot has been around since 1991, and from what I could gather it’s been an expatriate hangout practically from the beginning.
And it was a diverse group of expats at that. We met ex-Americans, ex-Londoners and ex-Aussies, all united here. And they immediately befriended us and welcomed us to their other home away from home.
Even the bartender, Remo, wasn’t from Placencia. Once we told him we were from Illinois, he excitedly told us about living in the south side of Chicago and rooting for the White Sox.
Remo also wasn’t just a “shot and beer” tender, as we quickly found out. First, after previously having a belly full of Belikin beer the day before, he wisely recommended I try another Belizean brand – Mine Beer. Turns out, Mine was just as light and refreshing, and maybe even a little better.
Remo's next suggestion was even better. As the drink menu indicates, the Pickled Parrot proudly serves many classic cocktails and several of its own specialties. He recommended I try the Parrot Bite, and even though I’m not a huge gin fan, the diverse blend of it along with coconut rum and coconut cream made it a memorable and refreshing drink during a slow, sultry afternoon.
We didn’t shy away from the grill side of the Pickled Parrot, either. On our first visit, we tried their wings, and the menu does not lie. They serve whole wings, so an order of seven is plenty! They were also fried like your traditional hot wings to perfection. The only problem we had was figuring out which sauce to try.
On our second visit, I had enough confidence in their kitchen that couldn’t resist the chicken parmesan special. It can on a mound of spaghetti and topped generously with a red sauce that any Italian restaurant would be proud to serve. And it was a mere $18 Belizean – that’s $9 in U.S. dollars, and it turned out to be the best bargain I found in Belize. With prices that affordable, you’ll have no problem with the Pickled Parrot being a cash-only establishment.
But as good as the food and drink were at the Pickled Parrot, the atmosphere and camaraderie was even better. It only takes a few drinks and some light conversation, and you’re treated like a regular. It was the best kind of group therapy we could have hoped to find while on vacation.
The Pickled Parrot Bar and Grill is not that easy to find. Sometimes, as I later found out, it’s not even open for days or weeks at a time, depending on extenuating circumstances. But if you find yourself in Placencia, Belize, trying to get away from all your stressors back home, there’s no better refuge than this place. Just don’t tell too many others about it, OK?
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