At Solomon’s Landing, there’s something for everyone
By Chris Sands
Since its opening nearly two decades ago, Solomon’s Landing has been a magnet for locals and tourists seeking first-rate food as well as a congenial and picturesque place to while away a lazy afternoon in paradise.
Visits to the restaurant often stretch out—in true Mexican fashion—from noon through the dinner hours. And why not? Solomon’s Landing provides a prime people-watching perch on the Cabo San Lucas Marina, a surfeit of surf, turf, and cocktail options, and gorgeous maritime views of colorful sailboats, luxury yachts, and the occasional sea lion begging for snacks from the back of a returning fishing vessel.
The central location and proximity to an abundant supply of fresh local seafood are major pluses, and part of why owner Brian Solomon chose the site back in 1996. Since then, the restaurant has not only become a fine dining landmark and a favorite haunt of Los Cabos’ expatriate community but also a convenient downtown meeting place for visitors, a pit stop where family members can wander in for gustatory fuel between shopping trips and activities.
Solomon’s Landing has long distinguished itself with quality and quantity—offering an enormous array of culinary treasures from bar, breakfast, lunch, kids, sushi, dinner, and dessert menus—and the lunch menu offers a suitably eclectic introduction to the restaurant’s voluminous charms.
Dozens of terrific sandwich and hamburger options are crafted daily by chef Silviano Orozco’s crack kitchen staff, including the delectable house sandwich with shrimp, mushrooms, sautéed onions, and melted Monterey Jack on a French baguette, as well as the spicy New Orleans-style mesquite burger. Vegetarians, however, may prefer heart-healthy selections like the Greek and beets and arugula salads, or the excellent portobello burgers topped with Gorgonzola, grilled onions, tomato, and Muenster.
Margaritas, mojitos, and frosty cold ones are the perfect accompaniments to the nomadic groups of charro-clad mariachis singing songs of love and revolution in the Mexican afternoon. They also tend to get along nicely with the restaurant’s killer ceviche and fried combo baskets featuring shrimp, fish, French fries, and onion rings.
Looking for something a little more traditionally Mexican? Specialty items like burritos, enchiladas, tacos, and quesadillas offer delicious entries into Baja cuisine, and huachinango—a whole red snapper served fresh from the grill—will have tourists considering a permanent move.
Of course, you don’t have to have a driver’s license, or even an elementary school diploma, to enjoy your visit to Solomon’s Landing. In addition to its myriad adult-friendly menu options, the restaurant also offers plenty of tasty treats for the kids, including linguine noodles, chicken fingers, hamburgers, and French fries, as well as some gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches that would make Mom proud. The menus themselves have color-by-number crayon possibilities for artistically inclined youngsters, while fresh juices and smoothies provide healthy alternatives to the sugar rush brought on my too many sodas.
Children and adults will also enjoy the breakfast bounty, assuming they want to get an early start on their vacation plans. The waffles are the stuff that dreams are made of, as Shakespeare would doubtless have opined after sampling the signature house waffle topped with mixed berries compote, chocolate chips, real whipped cream, and sweet Canadian maple syrup. The pancakes and French toast are likewise superb, and egg lovers have a choice of American-style omelets or Mexican specialties such as chilaquiles and huevos rancheros. Bagels and breakfast burritos are also on the morning bill of fare, and health-conscious diners can opt for yogurt and granola or fresh-squeezed juices.
Prefer an elegant evening of fine dining, complete with prime cuts of Sonoran beef and an abundance of fresh local seafood? Solomon’s superb service staff is at its best during the busy dinner hours, preparing Caesar salads tableside and providing prompt food and beverage delivery with their trademark attention to detail. Starters like crab cakes and ceviche tacos, and traditional Mexican tortillas and five-bean soups are the warm-up acts that set the stage for headliners like the juicy 12-ounce cut of filet mignon and the hearty seafood pappardelle with lobster, shrimp, scallops, and squid. Catch of the day options can be prepared in any of the restaurant’s seven signature styles, and “you hook it, we cook it” services are provided for visiting anglers.
Seeking something less formal? How about bellying up to the bar or the neighboring sushi station? Comfort food favorites go down easier with tropical cocktails or an ice cold cerveza, and the expertly prepared sashimi selections from sushi chef Fernando Pérez find their soul mates in Solomon’s large collection of sakis and Japanese beer. Ask to sample the chef’s specialty rolls, particularly the multicultural fusion that is his tempura fish filled with avocado and cucumber, topped with melted cheddar and Monterey Jack, and perched atop a poblano chile. Don’t be afraid to dip it in a little mango and dried chile sauce.
For a particularly memorable social experience, stop by for drinks and dancing on Friday nights, when KYR—one of the Los Cabos area’s best live bands—plays Mexican and American music. Monthly food and wine pairings are another popular attraction, and one always circled on the calendar of local oenophiles. The regularly scheduled event showcases Solomon’s culinary treasures complemented by prize selections from the walk-in wine cellar.
Cabo San Lucas Marina (behind Wyndham Cabo San Lucas Resort), Cabo San Lucas, (624) 143-3050, daily 7 a.m.–11 p.m. www.solomonslandingcabo.com. Discover, MasterCard, Visa, and vouchers accepted. Validated parking is available.
