Feed Me Tacos Shirt Cabo San Lucas
Looking for authentic local, Mexican food in Cabo San Lucas? This post shares (in our opinion) the 10 best local restaurants in Cabo San Lucas.
This article may contain affiliate / compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here. While all efforts have been taken to ensure the information included in this post is correct and current, travel information such as opening hours, business operations and prices change frequently. If you find anything in this post that is incorrect or outdated please let me know in the comments so I can update it for other readers.
Eating in Cabo San Lucas
Crazy, colourful chaotic Cabo San Lucas is a resort city at the southern tip of the state of Baja California Sur. There are two distinct sides to Cabo San Lucas – the part developed to cater for Western tourists and the areas reserved for the locals. Whilst tourism has had a positive economic impact on the area, it can be difficult to find the 'real' Cabo. This especially extends to the cuisine, with many places in the touristy Marina and Medano Beach areas offering a menu adapted to tourist tastes (with the prices to match).
But when we visited Cabo San Lucas, we wanted to eat what the locals ate (at the prices they paid!). With a bit of research, and simply walking away from the touristy areas, we found some real gems dishing up authentic Mexican cuisine. This posts shares (in our opinion) the 10 best local restaurants in Cabo San Lucas. Prepare to drool!
Looking for more information on Cabo San Lucas? Check out our post here, sharing unique things to do, where to stay, how to get around and more!
Best local restaurants in Cabo San Lucas
Although I have tried to be as accurate as possible with the information provided below, and the opening hours, it's best you always check in advance. We have found a lot of the best local restaurants in Cabo San Lucas seem to operate on their own schedule, and aren't open when they say they are! We recommend checking Facebook pages over Google for more accurate opening hours and always having a backup option in the case somewhere isn't open.
Eating at locally-owned restaurants is just one of the things you can do to be a more sustainable traveller. It ensures your money stays in the local economy and supports the local community, not an international corporation.
1. Los Claros
For seafood tacos and ceviche
If you are looking for some delicious seafood tacos at an amazing price, you cannot go past Los Claros! A typical local restaurant, complete with plastic chairs and upbeat Mexican tunes, the food here is mouthwatering. These were probably the best fish and shrimp tacos we had in Cabo San Lucas, and we went back multiple times it was so good! Their fish (pescado) and shrimp (camaron) come in a variety of options, but we highly recommend the 'crunch' option. This is their version of battered/fried, and it was light, fluffy and delicious! The salad bar here is by far the best we have visited, with an amazing variety of salads, chillies, salsas, sauces and more. At the time of writing, their tacos were between 40-50 pesos, which is around $2.50-3.50 Aussie dollars – not bad at all! Definitely one of the best local restaurants in Cabo San Lucas in our opinion.
Oh, and their flavoured margaritas were absolutely delicious (try the jalapeno if you like a bit of spice!). When we visited they were just 90 pesos, which is the cheapest we found all over Cabo San Lucas.
The incredible tacos, ceviches, salsas, salads and margaritas at Los Claros
Exact location here
Opening hours (at time of writing): daily, 10 am – 8 pm
2. Taqueria el Paisa
For al pastor and carne asada tacos
What once started out as a single taco stand has grown to a Cabo icon, for both tourists and locals alike. In the heart of the nightclub area of Cabo, Taqueria el Paisa grew in popularity as a spot for late-night tacos after a night of drinking. Opening from 8 am – 2 am each day, it has earned itself multiple TripAdvisor awards and is a firm favourite for tacos at any hour. Expect a short wait for a table as it is so popular, but the quick service means you shouldn't be waiting too long.
The name of the game here is al pastor (pork cooked on a Mexican-style spit, with pineapple), and carne asada (steak) tacos. There are two main preparation stations which we thoroughly enjoyed watching. One is the al pastor spit, where you can watch the impressive knife work of the chef thinly slicing the meat into a waiting tortilla and topping it off with a slice of pineapple, some onion, cilantro and a splash of salsa. The speed at which all this occurs is mind-boggling, and you will be sitting in awe (and drool!). The other station they have is for the asada (steak). You can see large pieces being grilled over hot coals, before being transferred to a board to be finely chopped at breakneck speed.
They offer a whole range of other tacos and menu items, but take our advice and stick with these two. The al pastor tacos were the best we have eaten during our time in Mexico (so far). They are very affordable too, with both options costing 40 pesos per taco at the time of our visit.
The incredible al pastor tacos from Taqueria el Paisa, one of the best restaurants in Cabo San Lucas
Exact location here
Opening hours (at time of writing): daily, 8 am – 2 am
3. La Patrona Restaurant
For empanadas
I don't know what kind of empanadas I had previously eaten before coming to Mexico. But they definitely weren't the Mexican kind. The empanadas from La Patrona were the softest, fluffiest, lightest and tastiest I have ever tried. The casing was melt in your mouth, and that's before you've even tasted the fillings! There are plenty of options to choose from, such as asada (steak), adobada (shredded marinated pork), chorizo, mushroom, chicken and more. When we visited, the empanadas were around 45 pesos each. We shared three between us and that was enough for a light lunch! We didn't even look at anything else on the menu, but the restaurant is very highly rated with the locals and they had a range of other Mexican dishes to choose from. I have no doubt all would be just as good!
La Patrona also has a large range of aguas frescas to choose from. These are non-alcoholic drinks, that are akin to a juice or iced tea, depending on the flavour. There are plenty of options here, with flavours such as guava, jamaica (hibiscus tea), pineapple, horchata (rice milk) and more. La Patrona is one of the best local restaurants in Cabo San Lucas in the eyes of the locals and tourists!
Exact location here
Opening hours (at time of writing): Thursday – Tuesday, 9 am – 5 pm (closed Wednesdays)
4. Taqueria el Zarape
For al pastor tacos
Forget about late-night McDonalds to soak up a few drinks. In Mexico, it's late-night tacos and if you're in Cabo, Taqueria el Zarape is where you'll be stumbling to. One of the best local restaurants in Cabo San Lucas for a late-night feed, Taqueria el Zarape is open each day from 4 pm – 3 am. You will smell it before you see it, with patrons greeted by the mouthwatering al pastor cooking on the spit outside the restaurant. We were staying down the road at Cabo Inn and celebrated when we turned down the street to see the restaurant open after a night of new years celebrations.
Be sure to ask for a menu in pesos, as they have a separate 'tourist' menu in English listed in US dollars. Some reviews on TripAdvisor speak of being scammed, but it's not like this doesn't occur all over the world. And I would hardly say being charged the equivalent of 50 pesos per taco on the gringo menu is being ripped off. If you get local prices, props to you – but the al pastor tacos are worth it at any cost in our eyes! Especially at 3 in the morning after a few too many margaritas.
Taqueria el Zarape was bustling at 1 am for al pastor tacos
Exact location here
Opening hours (at time of writing): daily, 4 pm – 3 am
5. Tacos Gardenias
For seafood tacos
Whilst Tacos Gardenias is a little on the pricey side and definitely a popular option with tourists, it is still one of the best local restaurants in Cabo San Lucas. This was the first place we ate after arriving in Mexico, after a very long journey from Australia. Maybe it was just the relief and joy of finally touching down, but we still think these are some of the best seafood tacos we've ever had! You get the perfect assortment of salads and salsas delivered to your table and the fried fish and shrimp tacos were melt in your mouth. Expect to pay around 50 pesos per taco (at the time we visited). The margaritas weren't the cheapest we had (around 150 pesos), but they are served in an enormous challis and were practically two drinks in one.
Tacos Gardenias, one of the best local restaurants in Cabo San Lucas for seafood tacos
Exact location here
Opening hours (at time of writing): daily, 9 am – 10 pm
6. Birrieria Los Paisas
For birria tacos
This was one spot we didn't have the pleasure of eating at Birrieria Los Paisas but not for lack of trying! We walked past many times, and each time there were lines out the door and not a spare table in sight. Birria tacos gained fame on social media in 2021, and are now served in Mexican eateries all over the world. Birria is a Mexican-style stew, that is put inside a taco. The taco tortilla is then dipped into the juices from the stew and fried, creating a crispy exterior with a juicy inside. If you can get a table, head here and try the famous birria tacos. We also read that their quesabirrias (birria quesadillas) are delicious.
Exact location here
Opening hours (at time of writing): daily, 7 am – 5 pm
7. Los Tacos May
For beef tacos, not for the faint-hearted
Los Tacos May is a typical hole-in-the-wall taco shop in Downtown Cabo San Lucas. They serve up some interesting taco options, that aren't for the faint-hearted but are very popular with the locals. The menu features lengua tacos (beef tongue), cabeza tacos (beef head), corazon tacos (beef heart) and barbacoa de res tacos (shredded beef brisket style).
We visited Los Tacos May as part of a food tour with Juan More Taco, and our guide suggested if we wanted to try something a little different, but not too crazy, the heart was the most conservative option. Brayden and I shared a beef heart taco, and if I'm honest it wasn't bad! It tasted very meaty, like a stew, but once you added some salads and salsas it was pretty good. The barbacoa is the most 'western' option, and apparently, it was also delicious. These are some of the cheapest prices for tacos we saw in Cabo San Lucas, around 30 pesos per taco at the time of our visit.
Beef heart tacos at Los Tacos May
Exact location here
Opening hours (at time of writing): daily, 7 am – 5 pm
8. La Esquina Choyera
For traditional Mexican breakfast
This is another spot we, unfortunately, missed out on trying. We tried to visit on new years day, but they were closed. If you want to try a traditional Mexican-style breakfast, we are told by many La Esquina Choyera is the place. Serving up renowned burritos, and other Mexican breakfast dishes such as chilaquiles, huevos rancheros and of course coffee and fresh juices. Open early from 5 am, this is a great place to head for a big breakfast before a tour or day of exploring. One of the best local restaurants in Cabo San Lucas for breakfast without a doubt, and affordable prices too.
Exact location here
Opening hours (at time of writing): 5 am – 8:45 pm daily, except Sunday 5 am – 1 pm
9. Churros Rellenos
For sweet, delicious churros
You can eat all the tacos you like, but without dessert, the meal is not complete! Churros rellenos translate as stuffed churros. Not only do you get a delicious sugary churro, but instead of having the sauce on the side, it is piped into the middle of a large churro. You can choose from flavours such as chocolate, lechera (condensed milk), cajeta (caramel) or fresa (strawberry).
In Downtown Cabo San Lucas there is a little Churros Rellenos stand on the street 'C. José Ma. Morelos y Pavón'. Look out for Mercado Morelos and it is out the front of that. I'm not sure exactly what time it opens, as we visited on a few different evenings, and sometimes it was open, sometimes it wasn't. It's worth wandering down to check though, as the churros were simply delicious and the perfect after-dinner snack!
Exact location here
Opening hours (at time of writing): not sure, it seemed inconsistent when we visited but more likely open in the evening
10. Baja Roast
For good, local coffee
This one isn't a restaurant, but if you're looking for a good coffee in Cabo San Lucas, head for Baja Roast. We stumbled on it by accident, as it was right near our accommodation at Cabo Inn and we were seriously impressed by the coffee. The prices weren't cheap, but affordable for Cabo, with a latte for 60 pesos (at the time of our visit). They had alternative kinds of milk like almond milk, and we went back each morning for our daily dose of caffeine. We always choose a local café over international chains like Starbucks, which you can also find in Cabo San Lucas. The prices are cheaper, the coffee is better and why not support local restaurants?
Exact location here
Opening hours (at time of writing): daily, 6 am – 9 pm
10 best local restaurants in Cabo San Lucas
Writing this blog post and revisiting these places through my memories and photos has my tummy rumbling. However you feel about Cabo San Lucas, there's no denying there is some seriously good food in this bustling tourist town. Instead of heading for the Marina or Medano Beach area, head in the opposite direction towards Downtown to hunt out some of the best local restaurants in Cabo San Lucas. I hope this post has given you a good head start, but I know if you go hunting you will find even more rico restaurantes (delicious restaurants). Let me know in the comments below if you visit any of these spots, or find any more that are worthy of being added to this list. Happy eating!
Source: https://sallysees.com/best-local-restaurants-in-cabo-san-lucas/
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