Best Restaurants In Cabo San Lucas
By AAA Travel Editor
From burgers to haute cuisine, Los Cabos has it. It goes without saying that traditional Mexican fare takes center stage, but you'll also find restaurants with American, Italian, Mediterranean, Asian and international menus in Cabo San Lucas, along the Corridor and in San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur .
Where to Eat in Cabo San Lucas
You know you're in for a fine, authentic Italian meal when you see the waiters at Romeo y Julieta Ristorante in their Italian flag-colored red, green and white aprons. Across the street from the Cabo San Lucas marina, it offers air-conditioned seating indoors and also has a big open-air patio. Caesar salad for two is prepared tableside. Pasta dishes include a richly indulgent carbonara, oozing bacon, cheese and egg sauce and topped with a dusting of parmesan. The pizzas are baked in a wood-fired oven; order the De La Casa, a thin-crust pie topped with ham, mushrooms, salami, onions and green pepper. End the meal with a piece of homemade cake or the delicious flan.
When entering Mi Casa you'll feel as if you've stepped right into a Mexican village. Seating is on different levels, with some areas partially covered and others open to the sun. The colors incorporated into the decor are so bright and festive it's like dining inside a piñata. Long-simmered black bean soup is topped with sliced cactus pads, fried tortilla strips, crumbled cheese and crema (Mexican sour cream). Entrées feature meats and seafood that have been marinated in achiote, a Mexican chile paste. Try the oven-roasted spare ribs in a smoky chile and tamarind adobo sauce. And as befits the very authentic Mexican vibe, warm tortillas are made on the spot.
La Golondrina occupies what is said to be in the oldest building in Cabo San Lucas, a trading post dating to 1896. Waiters stand at the entrance to welcome you in. The restaurant's long-standing family recipes feature fresh lobster and fish, filet mignon, ribs and shrimp served with a variety of sauces. Whole red snapper is spiced and then deep fried until crispy, while “Acapulco style” is the catch of the day brushed with a chile guajillo sauce and then grilled. You must finish with bananas flambe and flaming Mexican coffee, both prepared with a flourish at your table.
The Office offers classic beachside ambience; feast on the specialty of the house—butterflied jumbo shrimp grilled with a generous amount of blackened garlic—while wiggling your toes in the sand. The casual atmosphere is perfect for unwinding with a margarita while watching waves crash and cruise boats embark for Land's End. A lively Mexican fiesta with traditional folk dances, piñatas and audience participation is celebrated once a week. After your meal, check out the wares offered by beach vendors; you might just find a bargain souvenir to remember your vacation.
Where to Eat in the Los Cabos Corridor
The Corridor (Mex. 1) between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo is dotted with restaurants ranging from casual to elegant; many of the latter are located at the posh hotels that line this stretch of highway.
The massive amount of marine memorabilia, fishing gear, license plates and business cards plastering the walls at Latitude 22+ Roadhouse will seem overwhelming if you're a first-time visitor, but this casual hangout is invariably packed with regulars. Belly up to the plank bar and chow down on affordable comfort food like Philly cheesesteaks, burgers with every conceivable type of topping, chicken fried steak and yes, even prime rib. Their mesquite grill turns out barbecue beef, chicken and ribs. They'll even cook your catch for you. Latitude 22 is closed Tuesdays.
Combine dinner and souvenir sunset photos at Sunset Monalisa . The cliffside location of this open-air Italian restaurant with a thatched palapa roof means breathtaking views of Land's End and the bay of Cabo San Lucas. Starters include oyster ravioli with tobiko roe and bluefin tuna served with avocado and ponzu. The truffle pasta is made with black truffles and Parmesan. The Prix Fixe menu allows you to choose three courses that includes dessert.
Alebrije , the main dining room at Las Ventanas al Paraiso, A Rosewood Resort , is as refined and elegant as the lodging itself. Guests may choose to dine indoors or outdoors on the covered patio; in either case, every table has a view of both the hotel's stunning pool and the blue-green Gulf of California. The cuisine, dubbed Baja-Mediterranean, leans toward seafood like merlot-glazed tuna with onion marmalade or seared red snapper with mustard sauce. The tasting menu, which changes twice a week, covers the bases from Oaxacan-style pork tamales to pumpkin flan with churros, doughnut-like pastries that are a Mexican street cart staple. Needless to say, the wine selection is exemplary and the service outstanding. Leave your cargo shorts and flip-flops in the hotel room; the dress code is slacks for men, evening resort wear for women.
Places to Eat in San José del Cabo
Despite the Los Cabos area's rapid growth, quaint San José del Cabo has managed to retain a semblance of its 18th-century colonial character, especially around Plaza Mijares, the main plaza. The plaza's eateries cover a range of culinary choices.
High ceilings, colorful wall murals and strolling mariachis all add to the Mexican colonial-style ambience that characterizes the Tropicana Bar & Grill. Mexican dishes are, naturally, a favorite, and the tortillas come hot and fresh from the open-air kitchen. Crowd pleasers include molcajete, a mixed grill of beef, pork and chorizo sausage swimming in spicy tomatillo sauce and served in a stone mortar. You also can choose your entrée from the lobster tank or chow down on a plate of baby back ribs. Yes, it's a tourist destination, but also very popular, and the sidewalk tables are the perfect place to watch people strolling around San José del Cabo's quaint main plaza.
Locals claim that La Lupita whips up the best tacos in town (a claim seconded by many tourists as well). Whether you order something tried and true like Baja-style fish tacos or go the more adventurous route—duck, roasted short ribs, shrimp in a creamy chipotle sauce with a garnish of fried parsley—the tacos are tasty, and the tortillas are made in house. Wash it all down with a cold cerveza or a mojito fortified with locally produced mezcal (warning; it packs a real kick). If it's not too hot, eat al fresco on the patio, which is filled with a charming collection of rustic tables and chairs. A three-piece band plays on weekends.
Javier's , in the Cabo Azul, a Hilton Vacation Club , is perfect for a special occasion. Standard Mexican dishes are done well here; octopus ceviche and seafood nachos are savory appetizers, and steak picado—cubes of Angus beef sautéed with tomatoes, onions and pasilla chiles—is a satisfying entrée. Or you could continue the seafood theme with lobster enchiladas covered in tomatillo sauce. But aside from the restaurant's beautiful décor and dramatic lighting, what really sets it apart is the fact that it overlooks a stunning beach. Try to get one of the tables at the outer edge of the deck, where you can watch crashing waves sparkling in the moonlight while you dine.
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