Baja fish tacos
The Baja fish taco is battered white fish, fried and served on a corn tortilla with shredded cabbage, a creamy sauce, salsa and lime. Shrimp tacos are made the same way. The best are simple, cheap and served at lunchtime. Try Los Claros downtown, which has a self-serve salsa bar, or Tacos Gardenias on Paseo de la Marina. Our best tacos in Cabo guide goes further.
Chocolate clams (almejas chocolatas)
Named for their brown shells, not their taste, chocolate clams are a Baja specialty. They're served raw with lime and salsa, or baked with cheese and garlic (almejas gratinadas), and in Loreto and La Paz they're roasted under burning brush on the beach. Local seafood places such as Mariscos El Toro Güero are where to order them.
Ceviche and aguachile
Ceviche is raw fish or shrimp "cooked" in lime juice with tomato, onion, cilantro and chile. Aguachile is its fierier cousin from Sinaloa: raw shrimp in lime and green chile, with cucumber and red onion, eaten quickly while it's still translucent. Both are best at lunch at a seafood-only kitchen where the fish came in that morning.
Smoked marlin and other Baja seafood
Smoked marlin (marlin ahumado) turns up in tacos, burritos and quesadillas, and as a dip. It's a Baja staple from the sportfishing culture. Also look for pescado zarandeado (butterflied whole fish grilled over wood), shrimp cocktails served in tall glasses, and lobster from the Pacific coast, which is at its best in the cooler months. On the marina, Lorenzillo's specializes in lobster.
Caught your own? Many marina restaurants will cook your catch if you ask ahead, and sashimi-grade tuna from a morning trip is a treat.
Machaca and ranch food
Inland Baja is ranch country, and its food is dried beef and flour tortillas. Machaca is shredded, air-dried beef, scrambled with eggs, onion and chile for breakfast (machaca con huevo) or rolled into burritos. Flour tortillas are the norm in the north of Mexico, and in Baja they're thin and soft. Try machaca for breakfast at a local fonda, or at El Pollo de Oro, a family-run downtown spot known for rotisserie chicken and big Mexican breakfasts.
Mexican classics worth ordering
Cabo is also a good place to eat dishes from the rest of Mexico:
- Tacos al pastor: spit-roasted pork with pineapple, a late-night staple. See [Taquería El Paisa](/restaurants/taqueria-el-paisa-cabo-san-lucas/).
- Mole poblano and cochinita pibil: at [Mi Casa](/restaurants/mi-casa-cabo-san-lucas/) and [Maria Corona](/restaurants/maria-corona-cabo-san-lucas/) downtown.
- Shrimp molcajete: sizzling shrimp in a stone bowl, the house specialty at Tacos Gardenias.
- Chiles rellenos, pozole on weekends, and tamales at Christmas.
Farm-to-table in the foothills
The foothills above San José del Cabo have a farm-to-table scene built around organic farms. Flora Farms and Acre grow much of their own produce, and San José has weekly organic markets; see the San José organic market.
What to drink
Damiana is a sweet herbal liqueur from Baja, sold in a bottle shaped like a woman; locals claim the traditional margarita was made with it. Local craft beer is widely available; Baja Brewing has a rooftop on Médano. Mezcal bars have spread in recent years; La Lupita pairs tacos with mezcal. For non-drinkers, try aguas frescas such as jamaica (hibiscus) and horchata.
What to skip
Skip the chain-style Tex-Mex on the marina front with photo menus and touts at the door; prices are high and the food isn't local. Be wary of "catch of the day" priced by weight without a quote. And don't bother with imported steak at beach restaurants when the fish came in that morning.
If you're staying in a villa, a private chef can cook many of these dishes at home, from a ceviche class to a Baja seafood dinner. Villa 1 guests can book one through our concierge; see villa with a private chef.
Street food etiquette
Street stalls and small taquerías are where a lot of the best food in Cabo is. Choose busy places with high turnover, where you can see the cooking. Eat what's cooked in front of you, and use the salsas liberally, but taste the hot ones first. Pay in pesos; small bills and coins are easiest. Tipping at a street stall is not expected, but rounding up is appreciated.
Breakfast and lunch are the big meals for locals, so the best seafood kitchens often close by early evening. Plan your seafood for lunch, and your fine dining for dinner.
Eating well on a budget
Cabo's marina front is expensive, but a few blocks inland prices fall fast. Taquerías charge a few dollars per taco, comida corrida (set lunch menus) at small fondas include soup, a main and a drink for a modest price, and supermarkets sell good roast chicken, tortillas and salsas to take back to your room. A breakfast of machaca burritos or chilaquiles at a local spot keeps you going until a late lunch. Save the splurges for one or two dinners with a view.
