Have you ever found yourself wondering what to do, where to go, how to get there, what to eat and more in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico? Well, you’re in luck because today you’ve found your way to our “all about Cabo” blog post. In this post we are going to discuss a few things including hotels, rental cars, shuttles, where to eat, what to do, and I’ll even provide you with some tips on how to figure out these things on your own for your next trip. So – without further delay, since you’re going to Cabo soon, read on for our ultimate guide!
How to use this guide
Here’s the thing, what works for me might not work for you. The things my family did might not be the things your family will do – I get that. This guide is not meant to be your vacation plan, it’s meant simply to give you a little bit of direction while you’re in Cabo. What fun would it be to explore a new place if you don’t take a little bit of that exploration up on your own? So here is how this works: I’ve broken our overarching Cabo San Lucas post into some smaller more navigable categories to make it easy – Food, Activities, Hotels, and Miscellaneous. Welcome to the Food Guide! Interested in my take on “all inclusive or not”? I’ll give you a preview of a post I’m working on with the pro’s and con’s of both at the bottom of this page.
FOOD (What to eat and where)
So clearly, as we are in a section labelled food, I decided to go with the whole “sections” thing.
Tip #1: When arriving at Cabo it’s best to start drinking right away.
I get it – that sounds like horrible advice and alcohol infused nonsense out of context, but hear me out. Upon landing in Cabo you’re going to go through a few things, first will be immigration and then customs (passports and baggage) and then a slew of timeshare sales people and then a bunch of people trying to get you to hire them as a taxi. Only after passing through the entirety of that gauntlet will you actually make it outside of the airport. When you walk out of the doors into the (hopefully) warm weather you’ll notice three bars there waiting to greet you. They are spendy $$$ and poised to take advantage of cerveza and margarita thirsty tourists ready to start their vacation right away.
(F) Get a margarita at the Fisherman’s Landing Bar. They are delicious, and compared to the margaritas at most of the resorts they’re top notch.
Tip #2: Taco Tuesday? More like taco EVERYday! Best Tacos in Cabo:
It should come as no surprise to any of you that know me – I live and breath tacos. It’s almost a second religion for me. One thing we all seek in Mexico are those tasty Mexican dishes that we love from home. Now, presuming you aren’t seeking “American-Mexican” food and are actually looking for REAL tacos – then i’ve got the tip for you. The best tacos in Cabo San Lucas are found at a place called Asi Asado. There are two locations (that I know of) but the BEST best tacos are at the original spot and I’ve linked the Google maps location above. It’s right next to the highway, and has only 3 out of 4 walls, but trust me when I say this is THE place you want to go for tacos. If you don’t trust me, trust Guy Fieri – who featured the spot on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.
(F) Get tacos at Asy y Asado – they’re the best tacos in town. Sample the menu, order a bunch of different meats, and prepare to be wowed. Tastebuds leave satisfied.
Tip #3: Bacon wrapped, cheese stuffed, chipotle cream covered prawns
Yes, you read all of that right. Some mad genius took all of those amazing things and combined them into one, decadent, dish. There is no shortage of excellent seafood in Cabo – it’s literally everywhere and everything from the ceviche to the sushi is top notch, however this dish is one worth breaking some New Years resolutions over. To find this plate you’ll need to go a bit off of the beaten path and head to Mariscos el Toro Guero. You’re going to be ordering the Camarones Rellenos Endiablados and just trust me on this – go hungry, you’re going to leave as stuffed as the giant prawns they’re bringing to you. I’d suggest sharing the plate with another person BUT one bite in and you’ll not want to!
Tip #4: Hit The Roadhouse for a unique atmosphere and good food
For us The Roadhouse was where we spent our Thanksgiving, because they had a full spread traditional American style Thanksgiving dinner going on. The venue itself is really awesome. It has great food (which is a must) but is also very full of character. License plates from all over the United States adorn the walls, as well as memorabilia ranging from model airplanes to banners from old war fighting units and more. Live music, a patio seating area, and great overall vibe put this place on our list.
Tip #5: One of the best steak deals in Cabo
You’ll find a lot of great steak places throughout Cabo, with varying degrees of quality and price. One of the best deals we’ve found so far is at a restaurant called El Peregrino that has a Saturday Special called Vacio (Argentinian Cut) for $15 USD. Their menu is full of exceptional choices, but for $15 the tender, perfectly cooked and seasoned steak that comes out to you is one of the best steaks in Cabo.
Tip #6: Steak Tip Numero Dos (that means “number 2” in English)
There is no denying the fact that I am very much a steak enthusiast. Dare I even say, connoisseur? I dare, I dare. Which is why this guide needs to have this second steak tip on it. Though we didn’t make it to Restaurante Patagonia THIS year, the past several years when I’ve gone to Cabo San Lucas we’ve made multiple stops at this Argentinian steakhouse for their perfectly cooked, seasoned, tender, cuts of beef prepared with traditional Argentinian grilling techniques. So, if you go to only one steak place while you’re in Cabo – I can’t tell you where to go. These two places are great and you can’t go wrong with either.
Tip #7: The single best place you’ll eat in Cabo San Lucas
Ok – I get it, that sounds like a really big claim, but I’ll stand behind it and I know that Abbi will back me up in this. There is a reason I used a bigger heading for this one – it’s huge. This place hasn’t even been open a year, and when we were there in November they were barely 3 weeks old. We found it by happenstance, as we had booked a cooking class and this was the rally point. We liked the class so much we came back for breakfast, and then again for dinner, and then – because we loved the place SO much, and the food was SO good, and the owner SO amazing…we hosted our Wedding Reception there (we were their first reception!!). They have EVERYTHING from traditional Mexican dishes, to a grill, to ceviche, to sushi, to a baker, to a full bar, and a churro cart, and shaved ice…and all of it is THE BEST version of whatever it is they’re preparing. Hands down, bar none. Ok, ok, ok, so what is this place you ask? Mercabo Gourmet Street Food! There aren’t enough ways to describe Mercabo and the food there you just NEED to go. This is a NEED. Trust me, go. Now. Trust the linked google map directions above, they’re so new the streetview still shows the old businesses and alleyway and hasn’t been updated yet but this is THE place to go. I can say, if you are on one of those all-inclusive things where you never leave your resort except for once or twice for food then this place must be on your list.
Instagram Tip: For those of you that are looking for the “Most Gram-able places in Cabo, check out the photo below – this place checks the boxes. Go tag them up! @mercabo.streetfood on IG.
Pro Tip: When you are there ask for Issi, he’s hands on and there all the time (when he isn’t teaching cooking classes). He’s an outstanding host, and when you do meet him ask him to “surprise” you with one of his favorites or suggestions. He NEVER let us down with what he selected for us. 10/5 stars.
Honorable Mentions
I thought it would be best to include a few honorable mentions for places that we wanted to eat at but never really got the chance to. Places that are highly rated, reviewed, suggested, and lauded for their excellence. They’re on our list for our next Cabo trip – which we hope to make very very soon. Also – places we did eat but didn’t really warrant a spot above for one reason or another. Here you go, honorable mentions:
#1: Acre – We spent a lot of time at Acre, the pool area, the dog rescue, in the treehouses, but we never had a chance to do a Mezcal tasting or dine there. Several restaurants and bars dot the property and all looked well worth a taste.
#2: Flora Farms – This one we “sort” of ate at, Abbi and I shared ice cream here, and it was to die for. Flora Farms prides themselves on being locally sourced, sustainable, organic, and gourmet. The restaurant, cooking classes, and bars all were super inviting. For those of you with a sweet tooth for ice cream, well, like I said above it was to die for!
#3: Wicked Pizza – We did eat here and they do a pretty decent pizza. Their location is great, right in the heart of downtown and they have a few tables out front which make it great for people watching. The thing about Wicked Pizza that really sets them apart is the Wicked Wild Goose Chase, a sort of game they host where you and your team are given a list of “photo ops” to get around town. The team with the most photos from the list wins! Everyone gets beer and pizza with their entry fee. It looked like fun and we’d love to return with a group of friends to give it a whirl!
#4: The usual pub crawl – Cabo is made famous by several of it’s party bars and no trip to Cabo would be complete without at least wetting your beak at one (or all) of them. Cabo Wabo, The Gigglin’ Marlin, and Squid Roe are some to name a few. There are so many options downtown you’ll feel inundated with opportunities to imbibe. Have fun.
All-Inclusive: Yes or No?
I often get asked about all-inclusive travel and I’ve got a pretty solid answer, honed over years of travelling, and tempered by experience. That being said, I’m going to finally put “pen to paper” and write about it from a “Pro’s vs. Con’s” perspective, later. The simple answer is – yes. There are certain times when all inclusive makes sense, like on a cruise where you don’t have any real options except for what’s on the ship. I’m not much for cruises (yet – I’ve been assured they’re great) but on the few I’ve looked at for vacations all-inclusive seems like the best option. This guide, for food in Cabo, would not make any sense to read if you were at an “all inclusive” resort. You tend to pay out the nose for that wristband, and the only way to recoup the cost of it is to eat and drink your weight 7 times over the course of your vacation. When I’m in a place, really any place, that has a ton of opportunity to explore – all inclusive does not make sense, like in Cabo. There are so many great places to eat and drink that the last thing I want to do is be locked into my resort.
Now, if you’re not interested in stomping the pavement and trying a dozen new restaurants, and sampling local options and all you want to do is relax by the pool and work on your tan…then by all means, get all inclusive. Go to town (metaphorically since, well, you won’t be leaving to town with all inclusive wrist bands on).
More to come later – for now, enjoy the food and drink of Cabo!
WanderTogether 