Puerto Cortés eats well from the sea. The fishing fleet lands daily on the bay and the bulk of the catch goes straight to the comedores around the central park and the bayfront. Whole fried fish (pescado frito), conch soup (sopa de caracol) and a coconut-milk seafood stew called tapado — a Caribbean coast speciality — are the dishes worth ordering. Garifuna kitchens in the area do tapado particularly well and any local will tell you where the current best version is.
For something cheap and quick, the street stalls around the market and the bus terminal sell baleadas — thick flour tortillas folded over beans, cheese and crema — that work well as breakfast or a mid-walk snack.