24 Best Restaurants in Los Cabos, Mexico

Nick-San may very well be Cabo San Lucas's top restaurant. Owner Angel Carbajal is an artist behind the sushi counter (he also has his own fishing boats that collect fish each day), and his creative fusion menu of Japanese and Mexican cuisines truly sets his masterpieces apart. The sauce on the cilantro sashimi is so divine that some say diners sneak in bread to sop up the sauce (rice isn't the same), while all of the tuna specialties—from seared sashimi with sesame seeds to tuna tostadas—are exquisite. Beware; you can run up a stiff tab ordering sushi here, though it's worth the splurge. The mahogany bar and minimalist dining room are packed most nights, but the vibe is upbeat. If you're staying in the Corridor, you're in luck; there's also a second Nick-San in Las Tiendas de Palmilla shopping center. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekend nights and during high season. Otherwise, be prepared for a wait.

Many of the area's best restaurants source their coffee blends from Cabo Coffee Company. The café, just off the Plaza Amelia Wilkes town square, serves a wide array of espresso drinks made from organic beans grown in Oaxaca's cloud forest. The café is a popular meeting place for locals, who appreciate the comfortable couches and complimentary Wi-Fi, as well as the fresh pastries.

Ideally located along Cabo San Lucas's busy marina walkway, Alexander's is where Switzerland meets México. Pull up a chair at one of the sidewalk tables and start with a meat-and-cheese fondue, a treat for which Swiss chef and owner Alex Brulhart is known. You could finish with the chateaubriand for two in a rosemary demi-glace, or the filet mignon and lobster surf and turf combo—but it's the flambéed tequila shrimp and sake lobster that draw wonder and awe.

A branch of the established San José del Cabo microbrewery, the beers are brewed in San José, meaning what you get here is "20 minutes fresh." No quibbles with the system; the eight house brews and seasonal additions are a flavorful change from the ubiquitous Tecate. The location of this outpost on the rooftop of the Cabos Villas resort on Médano Beach, however, ups the ante with a semi-open-air venue and view of the ocean.

This large, casual, sportfishing-oriented cantina, just around the corner from the Tesoro Los Cabos Resort, draws crowds with its all-day drink specials. Boasting a top marina location near L-M-N Dock, an excellent view of the sportfishing and mega yachts, $2 cervezas all day, affordable eats, and American sports on multiple TVs, it's a favorite of the sportfishing deckhands and boat captains. You can enjoy a Captain's breakfast special for under $8, a budget-friendly afternoon appetizer menu, or splurge a bit more for daily seafood and steak specials. Most meals can be had for under $20. Saturday night is Ladies' Night—ladies drink free from 8 to 10 pm—and if you stay late, you'll catch the live DJ and dancing. Free Wi-Fi is accessible throughout the restaurant.

Set in Cabo San Lucas's boutique Bahia Hotel, Bar Esquina is making a name for itself as one of Médano Beach's best restaurants. Whether you're craving eggs Benedict in the morning to help you absorb last night's party, a wood-fired pizza, or a burger on a pretzel bun, Bar Esquina is the neighborhood's top option for expertly prepared American-style comfort food. For dinner try the highly recommended tuna tartare, short rib, or beef fillet. With tall cocktail tables in the bar, an open-air dining room, chalkboard menus written on columns that front an open kitchen, and frequent live music, this place offers a cool atmosphere and great dining just off the beach. For a quick refuel, there's Esquina Coffee Shop right next door. Open at 7 am, it sells juices, coffee, and smoothies for takeaway.

In addition to its great selection of beer and wines, as well as organic and frozen foods, healthy and low-calorie offerings, and cheese, this corner shop carries familiar products and brands from the United States. A second location has been added at The Shoppes at Palmilla.

Lobster's the thing here, but daily specials like surf-and-turf combos round out the list. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, this typical Mexican sit-down locale has a happy hour that runs from 8 am to 6 pm—and prices are super cheap. You can get a lobster tail with rice and beans for 14 bucks; El Charro tequila shots are a mere 20¢; and Don Julio tequila shots are less than $3. As you sit under the open-air palapa enjoying this feast fit for a king, strolling mariachis will pass by, providing your dining soundtrack.

One of the more upscale choices near hectic Médano Beach, Edith's is the sister restaurant to popular The Office on the Beach. The Caesar salad and flambéed banana crepes are prepared table-side at this colorful and popular restaurant. Wally's Special, which includes lobster, shrimp, and fish, is also a popular menu item. The focus here is on Mexican ingredients—quesadillas feature Oaxacan cheese and are filled with seasonal zucchini flowers; meat and fish dishes are doused in local chili or tropical fruit sauces. Edith's air-conditioned wine room offers a large selection of domestic and imported wines and is ideal for hosting small intimate dinner parties of up to 10 people. Families dine in early evening, so come in later if you're looking for a less crowded experience.

If you're looking for some entertainment to go along with your tacos or tortas (sandwiches), listen for the blaring Beatles' tunes at Gordo Lele's, then watch owner Javier Reynoso don his Beatles wig and sing along to "I Want to Hold Your Hand" or "Let It Be." The walls here are filled with Fab Four photos and album covers. Javier's tacos and tortas are made with loving care, and his fans can have two or three ham-and-cheese tortas for what would be the price of one anywhere else, plus an assortment of generously sized tacos.

For a good steak in a rustic atmosphere accented by wood tables and leather stools, head to La Casa Country. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner with sports games playing on oversize TVs in the background, La Casa is the spot for toothsome carne at reasonable prices, and a wide variety of Mexican fare. The establishment is set against the bustling backdrop of the marina's many boats.

Gleaming hardwood floors and polished brass give a nautical flair to this second-floor dining room, where fresh lobster is king. Lorenzillo's has long been a fixture in Cancún, where lobster is raised on the company's farm. That Caribbean lobster is shipped to Los Cabos and served in nearly a dozen styles (the simpler preparations—steamed or grilled with lots of melted butter—are best). Menu items are named after pirates and Caribbean marine history: Jean Lafitte is grilled filet mignon; Henry Morgan is broiled yellowfin tuna served with cognac and pink pepper sauce; and El Comodoro is a fillet of Angus beef and lobster tail. The dessert list is lengthy and mouthwatering, and if you're in the mood for a less formal meal, an oyster bar with a limited selection of the same menu sits on the pier near the entrance. Flaming coffee cocktails are another specialty of the house. Try the Xtabentun, which showcases a Mayan liqueur made from rum, anise, and fermented honey.

Claiming to have "the best damn breakfast restaurant in the entire country," Mama's is a casual, lively, indoor-outdoor spot in Cabo San Lucas that serves bountiful plates of omelets and poached eggs with avocado and ham, and finger-licking fried potatoes. Mama's lives up to their claim of having the "World's Best French Toast"—a treasure stuffed with cream cheese, strawberries, mangoes, bananas, and pecans, and topped with orange liqueur.

Ask a local where they go for dinner, and they inevitably mention Mariscos Mazatlán. The crowds of Mexicans lunching at this simple seafood restaurant lend credibility to the claim, as do the huge stuffed fish mounted on the colorfully painted walls. You can dine inexpensively and quickly on wonderful seafood soup, or spend a bit more for tender pulpo ajillo (marinated octopus with garlic, chilies, onion, and celery) and enjoy some great people-watching as you eat.

One of Cabo San Lucas's top restaurants is in a cobalt-blue adobe building painted with murals. Interior decorations range from Day of the Dead statues and silver crosses and hearts, to T-shirts and tequilas. The place seats up to 550 and is often full of tourists, but the menu is muy auténtico and filled with regional Mexican specialty dishes. Standouts include the molepoblano with chicken topped in a sauce made from dried peppers, seeds, spices, and chocolate; and chiles en nogada, poblano chilies stuffed with a meat-and-fruit mixture and covered with white-walnut sauce and sherry cream sauce. The tortilla soup is also recommended, as is the oven-roasted spare rib in chili and tamarind adobo. Mi Casa offers a variety of different fruit-flavored margaritas, and a wine list focused on Mexican, California, and South American wines. The large back courtyard glows with candlelight at night, and mariachis provide entertainment.

You may feel like you discovered a well-kept secret when you find this palapa-roof house with adobe walls, just a few blocks off the main strip and around the corner from the Mar de Cortez Hotel. Sit on the front patio or in a backyard hut strung with weathered lanterns and photographs of the Mexican Revolution. Menu highlights include camarón coco (coconut shrimp with mango sauce), and catch of the day "Veracruz" style, meaning wrapped and steamed in its own juices with olives, capers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, and herbs. Close to a dozen pasta dishes are also available, including sautéed shrimp and sausage diablo.

Owner Juan Calderoni has an enormous collection of tequilas, and an extensive knowledge of the stuff. His restaurant is something of a tequila museum, with a colorful array of hundreds of the world's top tequilas—many no longer available—displayed behind the bar. Sample one or two of the nearly 300 labels available, and you'll appreciate the rainbow-colored Oaxacan tablecloths, murals, painted chairs, and streamers even more than you did when you first arrived. Hungry, too? Try fresh local seafood and regional specialties like tortilla soup, chiles rellenos, or grilled pork shank in salsa borracha. For larger appetites, the Pancho's combo, which includes steak, quesadilla, chile relleno, and a chicken enchilada, is the way to go. Pancho's offers special and private tequila tastings, which will give you a greater appreciation of this piquant liquor from Jalisco.

If you need a break from tacos and have a hankering for a steak like they cook 'em back home, Ruth's Chris at the Puerto Paraíso mall facing the marina is your best bet. It's known for its wide range of meaty cuts from fillets to porterhouse, and also serves veal, chicken, fish, and lamb. For dessert there's crème brûlée and Key lime pie, both freshly baked, and specialty cocktails from martinis to Manhattans.

The local gringo cadre has nothing but bueno things to say about this affordable and dependable little Italian spot, located by the pool at the Siesta Suites Hotel in downtown Cabo San Lucas. Baked rigatoni, osso buco, chicken Parmigiana, lasagna, and lamb ravioli are just some of the many Italian staples offered at this funky little spot. Portions are large and prices are reasonable. Finish dinner off with tiramisu before hitting the main drag for some serious nightlife.

Chef and owner Brian Solomon runs one of the most popular restaurants on the Cabo San Lucas Marina, supplementing great seaside views with first-class service and an enormous range of quality food and beverage. Fresh local seafood is the specialty of the house, but pastas, steaks, and traditional Mexican favorites are also staples of the lunch and dinner menus. For dinner, start with a traditional tortilla soup, enjoy a Caesar salad prepared table-side, then try the fresh catch of the day prepared in your choice of the restaurant's seven signature styles. Live music is featured on Saturday night, and visiting oenophiles should ask about monthly food and wine–pairing events.

At least once during your visit to Los Cabos, you should visit The Office, the original breakfast spot on Médano Beach's sandy shore. The Office screams "tourist-trap," bedecked with tiki torches and colorful tablecloths, but it's all in good fun, and it's always packed with revelers enjoying the near-perfect views of El Arco. Start your morning with a shrimp and cheese omelet, fresh-fruit smoothie, and powerful cup of Mexican coffee. The French toast is another favorite. Service is super-friendly but the menu is a bit expensive. Later in the day, decent, if not stellar, ceviche, nachos, fish tacos, seafood, and burgers are served in large portions that justify the high prices. Dinners of grilled shrimp or fish with garlic, and steaks are popular, especially when paired alongside cold beers and goblet-sized margaritas.