We explore Los Cabos’ love affair with pizza.
By Chris Sands
What’s not to love about pizza, the delicious combination of golden brown crust, tomato sauce, melted cheese, and tasty toppings that just may be the world’s most perfect food?
Think about it. Pizza is good hot or cold. It’s beloved by children and adults. It’s equally satisfying for dinner, as a late night snack, or for breakfast the following morning. And if you don’t feel like cooking, or walking to the nearest pizzeria, there’s always somebody willing to deliver it to your front door.
This versatile and palate-pleasing foodstuff has certainly found a foothold in Los Cabos, where there are seemingly more eateries offering gourmet pizza pies than there are Renaissance artworks in Italy. And in addition to the usual suspects—delivery chains, mom-and-pop pizzerias, slice specialists, and pub grub providers—a surprising number of highly regarded restaurants in Cabo San Lucas, San José del Cabo, and the connecting Tourist Corridor have added pizza menus to their bills of fare.
Captions: Life of Pie (left to right): The pizza at sister restaurants Sunset da Mona Lisa and Sunset Point comes with an extraordinary view of the arch at Land’s End; The Pera e Gorgonzola at Romeo & Julieta is topped with tomato sauce, goat cheese, Gorgonzola cheese, and pears; Dos Mares not only offers Mediterranean-influenced cuisine from a site on the marina but also a quartet of mouthwatering wood-fired pizzas; The eponymous pizza at Baja Cantina comes with generous heaps of ham, pepperoni, mushrooms, black olives, bell peppers, and mozzarella; At Captain Tony’s, you can cowboy up with beef, onion, tomato slices, and jalapeño peppers, sample the eponymous pie with shrimp and bacon, or tuck into the restaurant’s healthy veggie pesto pizza; The rectangular-shaped pizzas at Pan di Bacco are quickly becoming a favorite among the downtown Cabo San Lucas crowd.
Los Cabos’ many fine Italian restaurants are still the most likely places to find handmade gourmet pizzas. The best bets for visitors include one of the area’s oldest Italian-style eateries and one of its newest. Romeo & Julieta (624-143-0225), a fixture of the Solmar Group of hotels and restaurants, remains beloved for its old-world Tuscan decor and hearty Italian cuisine, but the Pedregal-area restaurant also dishes up distinctive stone oven cooked pizzas with a choice of thin or thick crusts. The slightly spicy Diavolo topped with salami and mushrooms and the meaty Tybalt (named for a character in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet) headline the Romeo & Julieta’s sizable pizza menu, which also presents guests with some very good vegetarian options.
Relative newcomer Pan di Bacco (624-143-3508) has quickly developed a loyal local following by featuring a host of Italianate pleasures, ranging from freshly baked bread and pastries to panini, pastas, and fine wines. But for pizza aficionados, the premier attractions are Pan di Bacco’s rectangular shaped, Neapolitan-style thin crust pies. Tasty tomato-sauced treats include the Rucola e Prosciutto with organic arugula greens, prosciutto ham, and mozzarella; as well as La Milanese, topped with salami, mushrooms, mozzarella; and Parmigiana Grana Padano. As an added bonus, the classic Regina Margherita and Vegetariana Dell’Orto pizzas are available gluten free. Pan di Bacco is mere steps from the Cabo San Lucas Marina, but three of the city’s top pizza purveyors are centrally located on the marina boardwalk, offering waterfront views and fresh sea breezes with their gourmet pies.
Captain Tony’s (624-143-6797), long popular with visiting anglers for its “you hook it, we cook it” policy, also serves up some of the area’s most savory pizzas. Cowboy up with beef, onion, tomato slices, and jalapeño peppers, sample the signature, seafood-friendly Captain Tony’s with shrimp and bacon, or tuck into the restaurant’s healthy veggie pesto pie.
Baja Cantina’s (624-143-1111) marina location provides high-quality steaks, seafood, and Mexican standards like tacos, burritos, and enchiladas, but the most consistent crowd pleasers may be the terrific handcrafted pizzas. Familiar favorites like cheese, pepperoni, and Hawaiian pies are augmented by gourmet combos like the salmon and potatoes with capers and arugula, and the exquisite Tartufo and Fontina topped with black truffles, truffle oil, and fontina cheese. This mix of simplicity and sophistication makes Baja Cantina a popular gathering place for pizza connoisseurs of all ages.
Dos Mares (624-143-0582) not only offers Mediterranean-influenced cuisine from a privileged waterfront site near Puerto Paraiso and Luxury Avenue but also a quartet of mouthwatering wood-fired pizzas designed to appeal to a variety of palates. Vegetarians will enjoy the Margherita with basil, mozzarella, and cherry tomatoes, while the Mediterranean showcases the restaurant’s commitment to fresh seafood, mixing shrimp with mushrooms, olives, and a smattering of basil. For meatier pies, try the prosciutto or the Blanche. The latter is a bacon lover’s delight, ably complemented by onions, as well as ricotta and mozzarella cheeses.
Prefer to be near the beach? Bar Esquina (624-143-1890), the signature restaurant at the boutique Bahia Hotel & Beach Club, offers a chic and shady spot to refuel after an afternoon of fun in the sun on Playa El Médano (Médano Beach). And the wood oven–prepared pizzas are to die for, particularly the superb combination of wild mushrooms, crème fraîche, parsley, and truffle oil. The unconventional pairing of short rib with blue cheese and arugula is also a satisfying option, as is the grilled prawns pizza with roasted peppers, black beans, and chive cream.
Although perhaps best known for its romantic ambience and spectacular views of Land’s End, the Tourist Corridor standout Sunset da Mona Lisa (624-105-8975) also gets high marks for its gourmet, wood-fired pies. Visitors to the restaurant’s scenically situated Sunset Point wine and pizza lounge (624-145-8077) not only have their choice of three types of dough—white flour, whole wheat, and herb—but may also choose from a menu that includes a delectable La Bianca with ham, spinach, and Parmesan, ricotta, and cream cheeses, and a mini trio of pizzas customized to pair nicely with their specific wine selection.
For the ultimate Cabo-style pizza experience, enjoy your preferred pie while watching the sunset over the Sea of Cortés from a comfortable couch, with glasses of wine from the restaurant’s list of more than 140 premium labels. That’s amore, and the reason Sunset da Mona Lisa is also one of Los Cabos’ most popular sites for destination weddings.
