By Ashley Alvarado, Sandra A. Berry, Fátima Martínez, David Mendoza Romero, Fernando Rodriguez, and Chris Sands – Page one of five.
Alcaravea Gourmet
Chef-owner Enrique Diaz has brought a bit of Europe to Southern Baja. The dining room at Alcaravea Gourmet is a charming, intimate space with surreal paintings, a wood-beamed ceiling, and bistro tables topped with freshly cut flowers. The menu has a definite Mediterranean bent, but you’ll nevertheless want to start with the French-influenced Champiñones a la Provenzal starter (mushrooms stuffed with dried tomatoes, Parmesan, olives, artichoke hearts, and a touch of béchamel sauce). Entrées include salad and pasta courses, so you can enjoy a Caprese or carbonara before digging into the catch of the day “a la Siciliana” in a lemon sauce with tapenade, shallots, and roasted eggplant or the Filete Mignon a la Marzala, topped with mushroom and marsala sauce. In addition to dinner, Alcaravea Gourmet offers one of the best lunch specials in Los Cabos: soup or salad, an entrée with pasta or veggies, as well as a dessert and drink, all for $10 U.S. The specials menu changes daily and is available from noon until 4:30 p.m. Avenida 16 de Septiembre and Ignacio Zaragoza, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 143-3730, www.alcaraveagourmet.com. Mon.–Sat. noon–11 p.m. All major credit cards and vouchers accepted. $–$$$ C.S.
Arre Mango
Cabo San Lucas’s premier karaoke restaurant and nightclub is also a favorite of locals: Arre Mango is located in the heart of downtown, across the street from the post office and police station. The colorfully appointed spot offers passionate karaoke aficionados a multitude of tunes from its thick binder of selections that include hits in both English and Spanish. The list includes songs by Alejandro Fernández, Jenni Rivera, Tigres del Norte, and many others from the popular Mexican banda, mariachi, and corrido genres. Barry White, Elvis, Madonna, Neil Diamond, U2, Metallica, and even country hits are among the options those singing in English will find. Those who like to dance will enjoy the space dedicated to live music and dancing. Arre Mango also has two-for-one beer and cocktail drink specials, as well as great prices per buckets of cerveza. The Arre Mango appetizer menu includes everything from hot wings, beef or chicken nachos, guacamole with tortilla chips, stuffed potatoes, reasonably priced at around $6 U.S. The restaurant’s mouthwatering crunchy enchiladas in mole sauce—served with spicy hot link slices, a grilled chicken breast, and small sides of guacamole and beans—is a dish to savor till the very last bite. On Friday and Saturday nights, Arre Mango is the only place in town for salsa, cumbia, merengue, and bachata dancing. Live bands entertain a packed audience in Arre Mango’s spacious backroom stage area. Boulevard Lazaro Cardenas, Cabo San Lucas (624) 144-4300, www.arremango.com. MasterCard, Visa, and vouchers accepted. Sun.–Thurs. 6 p.m.–3 a.m., Fri.–Sat. 6 p.m.–5 a.m. $–$$$ F.R.
Baja Cantina Beach
The world’s most beautiful dining room is framed by sand, sun, and surf, and looks out over the granit monuments that stretch from the Cabo San Lucas Marina to Land’s End. Tables are set seaside on the soft sands of Médano Beach, and when the sun goes down, moonlight plays on the Sea of Cortés and the colorful lights that outline anchored boats seem almost close enough to touch. It’s a breathtaking scene, and Baja Cantina Beach does it justice with a delicious array of local seafood dishes and other delicacies, tropical cocktails like margaritas and mojitos, and fine wines from Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe and beyond. Stop by for breakfast, sample afternoon sushi platters, or kick off your espadrilles for the requisite barefoot fine dining, and prepare for one of Cabo’s most memorable sunset dinners. For starters, try the smoked tuna tartar, with a savory mix of yellow fin, olive oil, lemon, capers, sesame seeds, cilantro, and red onions. Entrée highlights include the fresh catch of the day prepared in one of six different styles, most notably the Baja Cantina signature preparation with fresh herbs and buttered crust. Combo platters for two are an excellent option for date night couples, particularly the Isla Guadalupe with lobster tail, filet mignon, shrimp tostada, and chicken enchiladas in green sauce. Specialty menus are offered on Wednesdays when the restaurant hosts its celebrated Fiesta Mexicana with marga- ritas, mariachis, fireworks, and folkloric dances. Callejón El Pescador, Médano Beach, behind Cabo Villas Beach Resort & Spa, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 143-1111, www.bajacantinabeachclub.com. Daily 8 a.m.–11 p.m. AmEx, MasterCard, Visa, and vouchers accepted. $$–$$$ C.S.
Baja Cantina Marina
Moules à la crème Normande aren’t on the menu, but you can get just about everything else at this popular, unpretentious waterfront cantina: from Mexican classics and American comfort food standards to pizzas, steaks, seafood, and, most recently, Asian-style bowls. The unmatched menu variety—especially combined with first-class service and scenic marina views—has made Baja Cantina a local dining fixture for close to a quarter of a century (the restaurant has served as headquarters for the Bisbee’s Black and Blue marlin fishing tournament since 1991). Belly up dockside for breakfast ballast like eggs Benedict or Belgian waffles; fill up on lunchtime favorites like the signature salad with honey-lime vinaigrette and the Applewood-smoked bacon cheeseburger; or settle in for a memorable multicourse evening meal. Dinner highlights include filet mignon and barbecued ribs, roasted chicken and turkey panini, and new Asian-style bowl specialties such as Mongolian beef as well as the orange shrimp with ginger, garlic, snow peas, peppers, and jasmine rice. Need more options? Baja Cantina also serves excellent vegetarian entrées—tofu tacos, anyone?—as well as tasty children’s fare like chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese, and grilled cheese sandwiches. After you’ve put the kids to bed, come back for the after-dark action. Ladies drink for free on Fridays, from 9:30 p.m.–11:30 p.m., with dance beats from the resident DJ. Cabo San Lucas Marina, behind the Wyndham Cabo San Lucas Resort, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 143-1111, www.bajacantinamarina.com. Sun.–Thurs. 7 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 7 a.m.–midnight (the bar is open until 1:30 a.m.). AmEx, MasterCard, Visa, and vouchers accepted. $-$$$ C.S.
Baja Lobster Co.
We can’t help but think of Forrest Gump’s best friend Bubba every time we peruse the Baja Lobster Co. menu, which features a near-endless list of lobster preparations. Start your evening with a hearty bowl of lobster bisque; lobster salad served with arugula, lettuce, and yellow pepper, and drizzled with an aromatic cilantro dressing; or an order of lobster tacos cooked with tomato and basil, then artfully presented in a banana leaf. Then tuck in your bib and ready your cracker and long, tiny tined fork for more lobster—prepared grilled, steamed, or garlic—and served in signature styles like traditional lobster Thermidor (a fin-de-siècle favorite of several legendary French chefs) and Lobster San Lucas, an original recipe executed to perfection by on-site chef Eliseo A. Arbez. Wine pairing options are available by the glass or bottle, with many selections from premium producers in Napa Valley and the Valle de Guadalupe. Baja Lobster Co. is part of the celebrated Marina Golden Zone, and you can learn more about in the article “In the Zone” on page 94. Marina Golden Zone, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 145-6011, www.goldenzonecabo.com. Daily 11 a.m.–11 p.m. All major credit cards and vouchers accepted. $$–$$$ C.S.
Cabo Wabo
The nightlife hot spot that helped put Cabo San Lucas on the map may be best known for its hopping tequila and rocking bar, but its upstairs kitchen also serves outstanding dishes for lunch and dinner that are worthy of any upscale restaurant. You can’t go wrong with the world-famous Waborita (owner Sammy Hagar’s take on a margarita) or the I Can’t Drive 55 (named for one of his songs and made with a blend of five fruit beverages and five white liquors) paired with the vampiros starter: grilled corn tortillas topped with refried black beans, Oaxaca cheese, and grilled beef fillet bits. We love the tortilla soup followed by the cilantro shrimp (grilled jumbo shrimp glazed with cilantro honey) or the chipotle rib eye. For a delicious dessert, choose from a chocolate-and-caramel tart, lemon tart with fresh fruit, bread pudding, and crème brûlée. Kids can enjoy fish or chicken fingers and fries. Yes, families are welcome in the dining room. Vincente Guerro and Lázaro Cárdenas, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 143-1188, www.cabowabocantina.com. Restaurant: Daily 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Patio bar: Daily 8 a.m.–1 a.m. Club: Nightly 8 p.m.–1 a.m. All major credit cards accepted. $$–$$$ S.A.B.
Campestre Restaurant Bar
For real, frill-free flavors of México, head directly to Campestre Restaurant Bar. I am obsessed with the out-of-this-world chilaquiles (try the green option with sliced skirt steak). And, of course, there is tampiqueña, lobster tail, coconut shrimp, Imperial shrimp, and more. What began as a small four-table palapa in 2000 has grown to a spacious dining hall that nevertheless fills quickly. There are potent margaritas and a healthy wine list that includes vinos from México, Chile, and the United States. This is a place that after one visit will quickly become a favorite. Salvatierra S/N between Adolfo López Mateos and Camino al Faro, Cabo San Lucas, (624)143-8830, www.restau
rantcampestreloscabos.com (Spanish); www.loscabosguide.com/campestre (English). Mon.–Fri. 7:30 a.m.–9 p.m., Sat. 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. MasterCard, Visa, and vouchers accepted. $–$$ A.A.
Captain Tony’s
The waters that surround the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula are rich with some of the best seafood in the world, and at Captain Tony’s you’ll see this seafood appear in a variety of expertly executed dishes. The signature wood-fired pizzas are particularly good, especially the eponymous Captain Tony’s pizza with shrimp and crispy bacon. The fish tacos are another house specialty, battered in beer with an array of fresh salsas. In addition to Captain Tony’s, Pisces Group Cabo also owns one of the largest and most respected sportfishing fleets in the country. That’s perhaps just one of the reasons behind its “you hook it, we cook it” option, whereby anglers can turn their catch over to chef Nicolás Ayala Ramírez to be prepared to their specifications for only $7 U.S. per person. Don’t miss live music performances every Friday from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. There is seating capacity for about 150 people. Cabo San Lucas Marina, behind the Wyndham resort, Cabo San Lucas, (624) 143-6797. Daily 6 a.m.–10 p.m. MasterCard and Visa accepted. $–$$$ A.A
