Continued from page one.
Daikoku
It took very little time for Daikoku to become part of the Los Cabos fabric. Hurricane Odile struck within a few months of the wonderful Japanese restaurant’s opening, and—like most of Los Cabos—Daikoku was forced to temporarily close its doors. But it reopened with a bang, offering a temporary 40 percent discount to not only help stimulate business but also protect employees who needed work and help the area get back on its feet. Even now there is a feeling of tranquility that greets visitors here, where you will find natural elements the owners have used to create a beautiful Japanese garden. Enjoy a creative lunch or dinner alfresco or opt for the air-conditioned dining area, where you will walk over a Zen garden created three feet below the glass-bottom floor. A square-shaped sushi bar offers 60 choices, while the dinner menu is filled with all manner of delectable items from the Land of the Rising Sun. Japanese-born chef Taka’s dinner menu becomes available at 6 p.m. Myriad soups, salads, fried rice, noodles, beef, chicken, seafood, and fresh fish await the hungry palate. Try the tempura of shrimp, squid, fish, or veggies—or a mixture of all. Other items include baby squid filled with crab pâté and red chile pepper, as well as thick and thin slices of sashimi. There is a full bar, plus a wine cellar with a variety of international wines, plus Japanese beers and a selection of sake, including sparkling. For dessert, try tempura ice cream or the Japanese-style flan. Plaza Nautica, Blvd. Marina, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 143-4038, www.daikoku.com.mx. Daily noon–11:30 p.m. MasterCard and Visa accepted. $$–$$$ S.A.B.
De Cortez Mesquite Grill
The views from the Sheraton Hacienda del Mar’s beachfront De Cortez Mesquite Grill are simply spectacular, and guests can enjoy them from the terrace or the enclosed dining room as they embark on a culinary escapade. Our enchanted evening of sampling food and wine began with sea bass ceviche and avocado with an emulsion of chipotle paired with a Casa Madero chardonnay, followed by cream of clam soup and Casa del Bosque sauvignon blanc. Entrée selections included ribs of lamb served with eggplant and asparagus puree in port wine sauce and braised beef short ribs served with truffled mashed potatoes and a pasilla chile sauce, duck breast, New York steak, or the catch of the day. When requested, headwaiter and sommelier Adolfo Vidaca attentively pairs the dishes with a nice selection of wines from California, Chile, and Northern Baja. He also conducts weekly wine tastings Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. Dessert offerings include a terrine of apples baked nine hours and served with brown sugar cream as well as a dark chocolate dome drizzled with hot chocolate sauce. Live music nightly. Sheraton Hacienda del Mar, km 10, Tourist Corridor, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 145-8000, ext. 4087, www.decortezrestaurant.com. Nightly 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m. All major credit cards accepted. $$–$$$$ S.A.B.
Dos Mares Marina Grill & Bar
The multimillion-dollar yachts that dock in the Cabo San Lucas Marina have a way of demanding your attention. But the kitchen creations that come out of the Dos Mares Marina Grill & Bar kitchen are just as eye- catching. You’ll see what we mean when, on your first visit, you watch as nattily attired servers bring out dish after dish, each more attractive. Starters from the predominantly Mediterranean menu include a Baltic salad (made with spinach, strawberries, avocado, and pecans in guajillo vinaigrette) as well as a lightly fried soft shell crab on avocado with chipotle sauce. The broiled shrimp or sea scallops on a bed of couscous and topped with grilled leeks or baked lobster tail served with a velvety soubise sauce is an elegant way to celebrate a special occasion. Filet mignon in port wine sauce or a rib eye steak satisfy, as do the pizza and pasta options. Chef Juan Manuel Sanchez shines with desserts such as chocolate fondant, a chocolate cinnamon roll with ice cream, and vanilla genoise (a rich sponge cake) with amaretto coffee sauce served with mango sorbet. Daily lunch specials may include tacos, hamburgers, or seared tuna salad. Diners can enjoy live music six nights a week. Cabo San Lucas Marina, (624) 143-0582, www.dosmarescabo.com. Daily 11 a.m.–11 p.m. AmEx, MasterCard, Visa, and vouchers accepted. $–$$$ S.A.B.
Eco Bar
Visitors at this palapa-style restaurant and sports bar can watch all of their favorite sporting events live—think: NFL, NBA, NHL, boxing, or college games—on Eco Bar’s seven flat-screen televisions as they enjoy a menu of reasonably priced entrées that include beef, chicken, or shrimp quesadillas; vegetarian burritos; hot wings; fish and chips; ceviche; and a kid’s menu that features hot dogs and fries, chicken fingers, and spaghetti with meatballs. Anglers can take advantage of the “you catch it, we cook it” fish policy at a cost of $9 U.S. per person; fish are prepared blackened, grilled, fried, or sashimi style. The friendly, bilingual staff members are happy to help guests navigate the menu, which also includes an excellent winter-season-only lobster and filet mignon dinner special for just $19.95 U.S. Brought your car? No worries. Eco Bar provides guests with one hour of validated parking at Plaza de la Danza in downtown. Cabo San Lucas Marina, (624) 157-4685, www.caboecotours.com. Daily 7:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m. MasterCard and Visa accepted. $-$$$ F.R.
El Patio Choyero
This chill hangout—seating includes umbrella-shaded, La-Z-Boy-style recliners—specializes in affordable, first-class food. Menu options range from a.m. hangover cures like chilaquiles verdes to tasty fish tacos and dinner platters featuring chiles rellenos, flautas, guacamole, beans, and grilled steak “pot roast.” The bartender is a master muddler who makes the best mojitos in town, as well as excellent house margaritas with tequila, orange liqueur, pineapple, fresh cilantro, and lime juice. Happy hour cocktail specialties and iced buckets of five beers for $10 U.S. headline the daily drink deals. El Patio Choyero’s owners operate Sindicate Sportfishing, and if you put a line in the water with them, your catch is free (appetizers and drinks are extra). Went fishing with someone else? The restaurant will cook up your fresh catch for $7 U.S. per person. Cabo San Lucas Marina, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 143-3563. Daily 6 a.m.–11 p.m. MasterCard and Visa accepted. $–$$ C.S.
Invita Bistro
Discover the bold flavors of Rome at chef Antonello Lauri’s downtown Cabo San Lucas bistro, which he opened in 2012. The menu is built on family recipes, and the dishes—along with an enormous wine-themed painting from local artist Yandi Monardo—consistently wow. Freshly made breads and pastas as well as generously filled glasses of Chianti transport guests to Italy. Antipasti and appetizers like the Tocho Morocho de la casa—the chef’s choice of five signature tapas—are served family style in the center of the table. Entrée highlights like piquant Piccatine de Pollo (sautéed chicken breast with lime and parsley) and brochetas de camarón (grilled shrimp with zucchini and cherry tomatoes) are preceded by complimentary helpings of fresh focaccia. An old-fashioned blackboard touts the restaurant’s wine selections, among which are bottles from top producers in Argentina, Italy, México, and the United States. Calle Miguel Hidalgo, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 143-1386, www.invitabistro.com. Mon.–Sat. 5 p.m.–11 p.m. MasterCard and Visa accepted. $$ C.S.
Jack’s Bar & Grill
It takes only one visit to the pirate-themed Jack’s Bar & Grill on the Cabo San Lucas Marina for many a patron to declare: “It’s a pirate’s life for me!” The comfort food mecca and freebooting stronghold is part of the Marina Golden Zone (for more, read “In the Zone” on page 94), and it’s awash in nautical memorabilia and piratical accents. Pirates aren’t pretentious, of course, so the breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus stick to popular Mexican and American dishes. Try the Caesar salad with chicken or the Jack’s Burger topped with bacon, cheese, and caramelized onions. After the sun clears the yardarm, go with the three-cheese spaghetti, the arrachera Angus, or the Pollo Caribe (chicken breast topped with grated mozzarella, and chimichurri-and-sweet-chile-guajillo sauce). Kids will love the decor and the special children’s menu, and parents will appreciate the affordable prices. Weekly happy hour specials are offered noon to 5 p.m. daily. Marina Golden Zone, Cabo San Lucas Marina, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 145-6011, www.goldenzonecabo.com. Daily 11 a.m.–11 p.m. All major credit cards and vouchers accepted. $–$$$ C.S.
John’s Place
There’s nothing more comforting than dining in the company of friends and family, and that’s exactly the vibe you get when at John’s Place in downtown Cabo San Lucas. The restaurant opened just before Hurricane Odile and then took advantage of the temporary closure to renovate. Now guests can relax under a spacious palapa with the same peace and comfort they’d expect at a good friend’s while enjoying selections from an international menu that darts about the North American and European continents. Dishes range from baby back ribs with pasta and marinara sauce to traditional Mexican favorites and surf and turf, which includes a fillet of beef, lobster, shrimp, baked potato, and veggies. There are several Italian- tyle chicken dishes that include a half bird stuffed with rice and Italian sausage and Chicken Napolean in a creamy mushroom sauce. There are also pasta entrées such as house-made lasagna and seafood pasta with sea bass, prawns, clams, and mussels. The owners know exactly where they are, and the John’s Place menu includes several seafood options—both de rigueur and innovative surprises. Check out the coconut shrimp with mango ginger sauce or shrimp stuffed with crab and cream cheese. Ask for the fish of the day, and it may come prepared with cilantro or a lemony caper sauce. There’s a nice selection of appetizers, soups, and salads, as well as many traditional Mexican dishes (ask a server for suggestions). John’s Place is open for breakfast with a line-up of eggs Benny that runs from traditional to smoked salmon to El Toro (with beef). The incredible promotions include two-for-one pastas on Wednesdays; all-you-can-eat shrimp for $22.95 U.S. on Fridays and Saturdays; and all-you-can-eat barbecued pork ribs for $16.95 U.S. on Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays. Across the street from the Wyndham Resort on Boulevard Marina, corner of Vicente Guerrero, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 105-0381, www.johnsplacecabo.com. Daily 7 a.m.–11 p.m. MasterCard, Visa, and vouchers accepted. $–$$ S.A.B.
