How to eat your way through paradise.

 

By Chris Sands

 

Cape cities Cabo San Lucas, San José del Cabo, and the Tourist Corridor connecting them boast great restaurants—with chefs who hail from across México and beyond and menu specialties that range from tacos and traditional Mexican favorites to Baja Med and other international fusion cuisines.

The wealth of options may seem daunting, but we’ve got some recommendations … as you’ll find in this collection of signature noshes that reflect the culinary offerings at some of the area’s best dining spots.

 

And just to spice things up a bit, we’ve telescoped this gastronomic tour so that it takes place over the course of a single day.

 

 

¿Listo?

 

Let’s take a whirlwind tour of the Los Cabos restaurant scene through 10 representative bites.

 

If it seems like you just left here, you probably did. Mango Deck (www.mangodeckcabo.com) is the most popular party spot on Médano Beach, and a mecca for decadence during spring break. Don’t worry, though. The restaurant’s cooks also cure hangovers. Get the day started right with a hearty breakfast combo like the Two, Two, Two, Two (AKA the “breakfast of champions”), featuring two eggs any style, two pancakes or French toast pieces, two sausages, and two strips of bacon served up with some gorgeous seaside views.

Solomon’s Landing (www.solomonslandingcabo.com) doesn’t just do breakfast, it does everything right. This Cabo San Lucas Marina landmark covers all the bases, from fresh local seafood to steaks, pastas, and more. But it’s hard to beat its popular morning standout, the House Waffle (you’ll remember it as the waffle of your dreams) topped with a mixed berry compote, semisweet chocolate chips, real Canadian maple syrup, and freshly made whipped cream.

 

After working off breakfast with some serious shopping or spa time, it’s de rigeur to order off the oyster bar menu at Baja Lobster Co. (www.goldenzonecabo.com) for lunch. Relax beneath a shaded canopy, enjoy scenic views of fishing boats and luxury yachts from a marina side perch, and dive into a trio of lobster tacos—no Los Cabos dining tour is complete without tacos—sautéed with tomato, onion, and basil and served with guacamole, green chiles, and sauces that range from mild to extremely flammable.

 

Chef Enrique Díaz Gerard’s Alcaravea Gourmet (624-143-3730) is beloved by locals—and for good reason. Not only does this intimate, vine-covered bistro serve up superb Italian and Mediterranean specialty dishes but it also offers the best lunch deal in town: soup or salad, entrée with veggies or pasta, plus dessert and drink, all for $10 U.S. Since you’re on a tour of Cabo’s signature tastes, however, better try the filet mignon in mushroom and marsala (a Sicilian wine) sauce.

 

 

Nick-San

(www.nicksan.com) is one of the premier fine dining stops in Los Cabos, and the restaurant—there are actually two locations, one in downtown Cabo San Lucas and another at the upscale Shoppes at Palmilla—pioneered a now popular fusion of sushi with traditional Mexican ingredients. The Sashimi Cilantro provides a perfect example of this extraordinary culinary marriage, with four ounces of fresh fish seared with olive oil and green tea salt set on a unique cilantro sauce and garnished with ribbons of spicy chile oil and slice avocado.

 

Dinner will take place at trio of the area’s top-tier purveyors of traditional Mexican cuisine. Start with salad at María Corona (www.mariacoronarestaurant.com), but not just any salad. This charming downtown eatery is named for the grandmother of the owner of the Baja Cantina Restaurant Group, and it also features all her classic recipes, including an excellent one for nopales, the pads of the prickly pear cactus (de-spined, of course). This regional favorite is ably accompanied by tomato, onion, cilantro, chile, and a bit of queso fresco.

 

If tacos are an essential part of any Mexican culinary tour, so, too, is mole (the sauce, not the sight-impaired rodent). Mi Casa (www.micasarestaurant.com.mx) is a respected purveyor of this heavenly concoction, with convenient locations across from the town square in Cabo San Lucas and in San José del Cabo’s historic Distrito del Arte. Its version of classic mole poblano features a savory chicken slathered in a rich sauce of dried ancho, mulatto, and pasilla peppers, plus chocolate and assorted seeds and spices.

 

Put a bow on this magnificent Mexican feast with Pancho’s (www.panchos.com) aptly named Combinación Famosa, an array of traditional tasters that includes arrachera (grilled flank steak), Angus beef, quesadilla, chile relleno, and chicken enchilada. Of course, no visit to Pancho’s would be complete without sampling from what may be the world’s largest collection of tequila, with more than 500 different labels of the country’s signature spirit represented.

 

Still hungry? Good, because Neapolitan cuisine specialist Pan di Bacco (www.pandibacco.com) offers some of the best pizzas in Los Cabos, including a memorable truffle oil–scented Bianca with Italian sausage, baked potato, provolone cheese, and porcini mushroom sauce. Rest assured, there are plenty of excellent Italian beer and wine pairing options.

 

Cabo San Lucas’s boisterous nightlife scene also offers some great opportunities for late-night snacks. Former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Cantina (www.cabowabocantina.com/cabo) may be best known for live rock ‘n’ roll and signature cocktails like the Waborita—the house spin on the traditional margarita—but it serves up delicious food as well. Finish strong with the Double Decker cheeseburger with cheddar and jack, and don’t forget to polish off that side of French fries.

 

Then get some rest. Tomorrow brings a fresh batch of Los Cabos’ best bites.