Budget Dining in Los Cabos
Street stands offer low-cost, often fine local food. These places usually cook to order, so you can tell if something has been sitting out too long or hasn't been cooked well. If there's a crowd of locals, the food is probably fresh and well prepared. Safe bets include quesadillas, fish tacos, corn on the cob, and tortas (sandwiches). Some restaurants have a comida corrida (prepared lunch special), a three-course meal that consists of soup or salad, an entrée with rice and vegetables, coffee, and a small dessert. It's not gourmet, but you'll be sated, and at a reasonable price.
In Cabo San Lucas, head for the taco stands in the couple of blocks behind Squid Roe and Avenida Cárdenas, and the backstreets inland from the marina.
The best tacos in Cabo can be found off Highway 1, just outside Cabo San Lucas between Cabo Cielo and the Go-Kart track, at Asi y Asado (Hwy 1, Km. 3.8 624/105–9500 www.asiyasado.com). There are more than 20 types of tacos, including marinated skirt steak, grilled octopus, and smoked tuna, but it's the Vampiros, served in a hard corn shell and filled with cheese and the meat of your choice, that takes the prize. Pair with made-to-order juices, such as watermelon or lime with pineapple or cucumber.
Open for lunch only, Los Michoacanos (Leona Vicario between Carranza and Obregon 624/146–3714 www.losmichoacanos.com) sells savory roasted pork served in tacos or tortas for about $3 each and is beloved by locals and tourists in the know.
With branches in both San José and Cabo San Lucas, Los Claros (Zaragoza at 16 de Septembre in Cabo San lucas and at Blvd Antoinio Mijares in San José 624/355–8278) is the place for a quick taco fix; $2 (fish and shrimp) or $5 (lobster) gets you some serious tacos, while $6 will buy you a killer breakfast. Two for one margaritas are served all day and five beers (Corona or Pacifico) can be had for $10.
At Pollo de Oro (Morelos at Av. Cárdenas 624/143–0310), a half-chicken meal costs about $8.
For inexpensive Mexican eateries close to the marina and hotels, try the juice stands.
Rico Suave (Av. Cárdenas between Av. Hidalgo and Calle Guerrero 624/143–1043) makes great smoothies with yogurt, as well as cheese tortas.
In San José del Cabo, there are at least a dozen stands at the Mercado Municipal (Calle Coronado at Vicente Ibarra), a couple of blocks west of the heart of San José. You may be the only gringo at the tables—a great way to practice your Spanish. Stock up on fresh papayas, mangoes, melons, and other fruits.
Look for reasonably priced restaurants on Zaragoza and Doblado by the market. Good taco stands line streets on the inland side of Highway 1. Super Tacos Indios has filling baked potatoes. Las Ranas, a taquería (taco eatery), has a full bar, and Los Claros has a few locations serving fish tacos and all-day-margarita and Mexican beer specials.
