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Prepare yourself for a gourmand's delight. The competition, creativity, selection, and, yes, even the prices are utterly beyond comprehension. From elegant dining rooms to casual seafood cafés to simple taquerías, Los Cabos serves up anything from standard to thrilling fare.
Seafood is the true highlight here. Fresh catches that land on the menus include dorado (mahimahi), lenguado (halibut), cabrilla (sea bass), jurel (yellowtail), wahoo, and marlin. Local lobster, shrimp, and octopus are particularly good. Fish grilled over a mesquite wood fire is perhaps the most indigenous and tasty seafood dish, while the most popular may be the tacos de pescado (fish tacos): traditionally a deep-fried fillet wrapped in a handmade corn tortilla, served with shredded cabbage, cilantro, and salsas. Beef and pork—commonly served marinated and grilled—are also delicious. Many restaurants import their steak, lamb, duck, and quail from the state of Sonora, Mexico's prime pastureland, and also from the United States, though many of the high-end spots are only using local ingredients.
In San José, international chefs prepare excellent Continental, French, Asian, and Mexican dishes in lovely, intimate restaurants, and it's where the major portion of the area's explosion in new eateries has occurred. Following in the footsteps of Northern Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe, several restaurants on the outskirts of San José del Cabo are offering farm-to-table cuisine, as well as cooking courses and tours. This organic movement has spread from the Farmer’s Market in San José del Cabo to the luxury resorts along the coast that rely on the farms for their daily menu. The Corridor is the place to go for exceptional (and expensive) hotel restaurants, while intense competition for business in Los Cabos means many restaurants go through periodic remodels and reinvention, the Corridor restaurants included. With San José emerging as the hotbed of culinary activity, it’s fair to say that Cabos San Lucas lags somewhat behind. But Cabo has comfort food covered, with franchise eateries from McDonald's, Subway, Johnny Rocket’s, Domino's, and Ruth's Chris Steak House.
This trendy restaurant and lounge grows most of its vegetables and herbs on its rooftop garden, sourcing any remaining ingredients from its San Jose--based sister restaurant, Flora Farms. Whether you come just for drinks or a full-course meal (both are popular options), every bite and sip will taste impossibly fresh. Seating is dispersed between their dining room, chandelier patio, or rooftop terrace, each space offering a different vibe.
A few blocks away from downtown Cabo's heavy foot traffic and named after the town's zip code, this is an adorable place to grab breakfast or spend an afternoon co-working. Their slogan is "Coffee made by locals, for locals," and their beans are sourced from the Mexican state of Chiapas and are available for sale to take home with you.
This jaw-dropping restaurant at Lomita winery is your chance to try a six- or eight-course tasting menu with a wine pairing. Grab a table overlooking the vineyards or head indoors, where a glass-roofed dining room allows the stars to shine over your table. At the helm is twentysomething chef Sheyla Alvarado, who changes the tasting menus weekly. Expect mouthwatering dishes like spider crab, suadero tacos, oyster mushrooms, firewood lamb, and, for a sweet and smooth finale, camomilla with honey. If you've fallen hard for one of the courses, simply ask for seconds at no additional cost.
La Playa is one of the nicest places to have fresh seafood or beverage in Los Barriles. It’s a little pricey, but everything tastes incredibly fresh, and you can’t beat the location or beach access. It’s a fun spot to watch the kiteboarders on a windy day.
Chef and owner Brian Solomon runs one of the most popular restaurants on the Cabo San Lucas Marina, supplementing waterfront views with first-class service and an enormous range of quality food and beverages. Fresh local seafood is the specialty of the house, but pastas, steaks, and traditional Mexican favorites are also staples of the lunch and dinner menus. The palapa-style architecture is fun yet classy, and the space is pet-friendly, too.
A favorite spot among the dwindling community of local Mexican residents, Tiki Santos can be a little difficult to find (the location shown on Google Maps is not correct), but if you persevere, you'll be rewarded with generous portions of classic Mexican seafood dishes at moderate prices. The decor is as basic as they come—plastic chairs on a dirt sand floor—but that's part of the charm. The food is just as good (if not better than) other restaurants in town charging double.
Refuel with a coffee and pizza of Neapolitan roots at the Koral Center food hall. Order a takeaway tiramisu and choose your coffee beans for a premium espresso. If you need something more substantial, head next door to Pan di Bacco for a proper Italian dinner.
Open for more than 30 years in the Villa Serena neighborhood along the main highway, this quiet, open-air, palapa-covered restaurant offers standard fare, from beef and shrimp kebab to baby back BBQ ribs and lobster tail, with some Mexican specialties thrown in. If you grab an ocean-facing table, you can watch the cruise ships glide past. This restaurant has what most don't: a pool—perfect for dipping your feet while sipping a fruity concoction.
Popular with the surfing crowd, this palapa-covered joint is right on Costa Azul beach, just south of San José del Cabo. Though their burger is the reason to come, the aroma of grilling lobster and tacos, and a soundtrack of surf tunes are why many return. The crowd can get downright rowdy. There's no question that owner "Big Tony" feeds you well for your pesos. With half-pound burgers, slabs of prime rib, or steak and lobster for two at under $30, you'll leave the beach a glutton, albeit a jolly one. Bring the kids in the daytime; they'll enjoy running from the dining table to the sand between every couple of bites. Sporting events sometimes blare on the TV, and live music is offered nightly.
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