Peacock’s Restaurant
Chef Emmanuel Prieto’s menu at Peacock’s is chockfull of appetizing selections as well as new additions. Enjoy them all at this iconic restaurant located just 300 or so feet from Médano Beach. The México City-born chef’s friendly spirit imbues the entire restaurant. He and his bilingual staff have created a warm, happy ambience perfectly suited for an intimate lunch or romantic dinner. The dinner plates are so elegantly prepared that they would fit in on the walls of a gallery, and the flavor is just as impressive. The surf and turf is a popular selection at most Cabo San Lucas restaurants, but here you would be remiss if you didn’t try the lobster soup ($10 U.S.). It’s a fabulous menu starter that arrives with warm, tasty bread. The baked New York steak ($27 U.S.) is served with delicious potatoes that are sautéed with mushrooms and sun-dried tomato. The lamb (spiced with homemade Thai curry) and oven-roasted duck with risotto are other succulent meals to consider. Pair either with red wines that arrive from the Valle de Guadalupe vineyards in the northern Baja Peninsula. The service at Peacock’s is genuinely great, another wonderful gem amid Los Cabos’ many excellent restaurants. Paseo de Pescador, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 143-1858, www.peacocksrestaurant.com. Nightly 5 p.m.–11:30 p.m. AmEx, MasterCard, and Visa accepted. $$–$$$ F.R.
Pitahayas
It’s easy to fall under the spell of Pitahayas, a landmark restaurant located along the Tourist Corridor. Award-winning chef Volker Romeike has pioneered what’s known as Pacific Rim cuisine, and the restaurant’s magnificent palapa and oceanfront location provide the perfect backdrop for his menu. Dishes include short ribs with wasabi mashed potatoes, as well as crab-crusted sea bass and twice-cooked pork belly. Sip on a cocktail as you enjoy a beautiful Cabo sunset, then dine on starters like the duck crepes or handmade shrimp wontons as stars blanket the night’s sky. The dessert menu is filled with confections that could easily be confused with works of art. Chief among them is crème brûlée trio. Manager José Rojas Torres ensures your experience will be extraordinary. Hacienda del Mar, Cabo del Sol, km 10 on the Tourist Corridor, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 145-8010, www.pitahayas.com. Nightly 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m. MasterCard, Visa, and vouchers accepted. $$–$$$ A.A.
The Retro Burger Bar
Chef Tadd Chapman’s fun and funky Retro Burger Bar may salute days gone by and give special attention to classic burger bar staples like shakes and root beer floats, but don’t you dare mistake this spot for an old-fashioned dive. This is where Chapman’s innovative spirit thrives, as evidenced by his creative menu. For your first visit, we suggest the Lamborghini, which was named for the seasoned ground lamb that is piled high with sundried tomatoes, pesto, feta, arugula, red onion, tomato marmalade and tzaziki and served with house-cut sea salt fries and a house-made pickle. Pair any burger with old-fashioned root beer float or, before 6 p.m., some happy hour house drinks. Between meals, try the fresh popcorn with white truffle oil, fried rosemary, and cracked pepper; the cheeseburger lollipops; or the pork belly chicharrones with the hellfire sauce. Watch just about any sports event on 13 oversize flat-screen TVs. Blvd. Mijares S/N Edificio Eclipse, San José del Cabo, (624) 130-7042. www.retroburgerbar.com. Sun.–Wed. 11 a.m.–midnight, Thurs. 11 a.m.–2 a.m., Fri. 11 a.m.–3 a.m., Sat. 11 a.m.–4 a.m. AmEx, MasterCard, and Visa accepted. $–$$$ C.M.
Rodizio Grill
The World Cup ended months ago, but Los Cabos’ fascination with Brazil is far from over. One-year-old Rodizio Grill is the latest South American eatery to arrive in Cabo San Lucas, and it has brought with it churrasco-style dining with modestly priced all-you-can-eat specials that feature prime Sonoran beef and other meaty pleasures. Chef Luis Rodriguez makes regular appearances tableside with skewered slabs of rib eye, top sirloin, and New York and flank steaks, plus generous portions of chorizo, barbecued ribs, and other grill-finished goodness. All buffet items are custom cooked and sliced to your specifications, then separated by the occasional palate-cleansing slice of grilled pineapple. As an added bonus, Rodizio’s selection of big reds from Argentina, Chile, and Baja California’s own Valle de Guadalupe provide perfect pairing options for the premium cuts. Need to balance out the beef? Ask for second or third helpings of the roasted vegetables or order a Caesar salad from the à la carte menu. And don’t forget to save room for dessert. The fried bananas are delicious. Additional à la carte items include Mexican favorites like tortilla soup, chiles rellenos, and quesadillas, as well as dishes showcasing the fresh local seafood. Kids 5 and younger eat for free. Calle Niños Héroes, between Melchor Ocampo and Ignacio Zaragoza, Cabo San Lucas, phone (624) 157-5377, www.loscabosguide.com/rodizio. Nightly 4 p.m.–11 p.m. Cash and vouchers accepted. $–$$ C.S.
Romeo & Julieta
Chef Matias Forte demands excellence and ensures it through carefully selecting quality ingredients and then building every item on the Romeo & Julieta menu from scratch. These are but a few of the reasons the romantic Italian spot in downtown Cabo San Lucas has built a reputation as one of the best restaurants in all of Los Cabos. Patrons return year after year because of the restaurant’s ability to keep old traditions alive while adding new and contemporary items to the menu. Yes, you can order spaghetti and meatballs or traditional lasagna—both exceptional—but there is always something new on the seasonal menu. Sometimes there is a bit of fantasy involved by taking a tried-and-true dish and morphing it into a new and exciting item such as croccante salad: thin slices of dried fruits and veggies give a crunch to organic baby lettuces (think potato chips, only healthier!). Other examples include risotto with osso buco ragù or grilled chicken in puff pastry. The entire staff is respectful and friendly, wanting only to keep clients happy. Celebrate a birthday, anniversary, or special occasion and let Forte and the dedicated staff wow you and your guests. Boulevard Marina and Camino del Cerro, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 143-0225, www.restaurantromeoyjulieta.com. Mon.–Sat. 4 p.m.–11 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m.–11 p.m. MasterCard, Visa, and vouchers accepted. $$–$$$$ S.A.B.
Señor Sweets Bistro
With a beautiful sunset and the relaxing Cabo San Lucas Marina ambience as our dinner companions, we treated ourselves to an evening at one of the sweetest locations in Los Cabos. Señor Sweets Bistro is known for its great variety of tempting desserts; this time, though, we explored the savory options on the menu and discovered how wonderful the restaurant is as a place to enjoy a complete meal.
In fact, Señor Sweets is the place to share a romantic dinner or time with the family, taking advantage of Cabo San Lucas’s ideal climate. Just imagine being on the marina and enjoying a rib eye accompanied by vegetables expertly prepared with fine herbs and served with wine. Pizzas, panini, and salads are some of the traditional items available at the restaurant, which daily demonstrates its efforts to captivate diners’ palates. And, of course, we can’t ignore the gelati that, with more than 30 flavors available, have earned a following all their own. Señor Sweets’ signature service and high-quality food have been instrumental in the restaurant building a reputation as a must-visit stop for tourists and locals. Señor Sweets welcomes visitors for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is eager to exceed everyone’s expectations. Don’t miss this opportunity to taste Señor Sweets’ delicious, aromatic coffee, some of the best in town. Cabo San Lucas Marina, at the entrance to Puerto Paraiso, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 105-0102, www.senorsweets.com. Daily 7 a.m.–midnight. All major credit cards accepted. $–$$ F.M.
The Shrimp Factory
There is a great scene in the movie Forrest Gump in which the title character’s friend Bubba recites all the ways he can think of to eat shrimp. It’s a very long list, but it still pales in comparison to the seemingly endless variety of ways the decapod crustaceans are served at the Shrimp Factory, one of the most recent additions to the Cabo San Lucas dining scene. Guests at the casual eatery can nosh on shrimp tacos, shrimp fajitas, or shrimp aguachile, or simply order them by the kilo, in which case preparation styles include coconut, breaded, beer battered, diabla, and scampi. There is also a plethora of combo platters pairing shrimp with items like fresh fish, lobster, and filet mignon. Not a shrimp fan? Fear not. There are several good shrimp-free options, including traditional surf and turf platters with lobster and filet mignon, grilled chicken breast in poblano sauce, and pescado zarandeado (a whole fish spiced, sauced, and cooked in a wire basket over a charcoal grill). Mexican combo plates are another popular menu item, and they feature cheese quesadillas, fish tacos a la gobernador, chicken enchiladas, and…inevitably…chiles rellenos with shrimp. Happy hour specials include two-for-one margaritas and iced buckets of six beers for $10 U.S. Calle Miguel Hidalgo (near Boulevard Marina), Cabo San Lucas, (624)143-1105. Daily 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m. MasterCard and Visa accepted. $–$$$ C.S
Solomon’s Landing
Whatever the craving, you’re likely to find it at Solomon’s Landing. The Cabo San Lucas Marina spot has more menus than most restaurants have tables and yet everything is consistently fresh, filling, and delicious. Each item on the breakfast, bar, children’s, lunch, sushi, and dinner menus is paired with exceptional views of the marina. Guests can also expect superb service by the friendly staff as well as a daily infusion of fresh seafood. Dinnertime visitors will want to start with the Poki Rainbow Sashimi, a savory sampler of fish, scallops, and octopus, and the introductory salvo in what should be a seafood rich repast. Classic Mexican soups like tortilla and Five Bean provide a bit of ballast, and the Caesar salads are practically mandatory. These salads are prepared tableside by servers, and they’re so good that you will likely swear off store-bought dressing forever after just one bite. Headliners include a juicy 12-ounce cut of filet mignon and the fresh catch of the day prepared in your choice of the restaurant’s seven signature styles. Afterwards, as you may have guessed, Solomon’s also offers a wonderful dessert menu. Cabo San Lucas Marina (behind Wyndham Cabo San Lucas Resort), Cabo San Lucas, (624) 143-3050, www.solomonslandingcabo.com. Daily 7 a.m.–11 p.m. Discover, MasterCard, Visa, and vouchers accepted. $–$$$ C.S.
Sunset da Mona Lisa
Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” has dazzled and intrigued art lovers for centuries. And, as you might suspect given its name, the sunset views from this divine Italian restaurant have much the same effect. As the potent Los Cabos sun begins its nightly descent over Land’s End, romance so envelops the multi-tiered Sunset da Mona Lisa that it’s practically a given that somebody will get engaged during your visit (the restaurant averages one proposal per night). Three chefs share executive duty here, and they’ve crafted a menu to cater to all types of palates and dietary restrictions (including gluten sensitivities). There are antipasti (try the crispy Raviolo Croccante with Beluga Kaluga caviar), house-made pastas, fresh seafood, meaty entrées, and a roster of deliciously indulgent desserts. We began our dinner with an appetizer of thick-cut, carpaccio-style tuna that popped with notes of soy and citrus. We continued with house-made gnocchi filled with crab in a white truffle cream and beef tenderloin and vegetables. As we ate, we drank from a wonderful malbec. Come dessert time, we switched course: pairing Oaxacan hot chocolates with panna cotta. Valet parking. Km 6 on the Tourist Corridor, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 145-8160, www.sunsetmonalisa.com. Nightly 5 p.m.–10 p.m. MasterCard and Visa accepted. $$–$$$$ A.A.
