14 Best Restaurants in Los Cabos Side Trips, Los Cabos

Although Los Cabos and Baja are not coffee-growing regions, the folks in the town of El Pescadero roast the finest beans from the Sierra Norte mountains in the Mexican state of Puebla. They turn them into the area's best gourmet coffee drinks, which may be enjoyed at tables in the adjoining garden. Baked goods and light fare headline the daily menu offerings, with more filling options—such as vegetarian frittatas—available for Sunday brunch. Other Sunday specials include live music and a farmers' market.

Bandido's has come a long way since opening nearly a decade ago with three plastic tables and a grill fixed under the hood of an old pickup truck. The unique truck-grill is still around, but the restaurant's latest alfresco setting suggests it may be transitioning from working-class pit stop into romantic burger joint. Red-and-white checkered tablecloths are scattered amid dozens of palm trees festooned with lanterns, and tropical breezes blow in past the nearby marina. Bandido's is very popular with locals, who crowd the place nightly for enormous half-pound burgers and barbecue ribs, ice-cold cervezas, and old-time rock and roll.

Not far from hotels, restaurants, and important downtown sights, this small café is a great place to recharge with a morning espresso, chai, or smoothie, along with great pastries. Wi-Fi is available here, so you can catch up on your email. Credit cards are accepted.

Omelets, bagels, granola, and whole-grain breads delight the breakfast crowd at this casual small eatery; deli sandwiches, fresh salads, and an array of burritos, tamales, and flautas (fried tortillas rolled around savory fillings) are lunch and dinner highlights. Check for fresh seafood on the daily specials board. Gourmet pizzas, pasta, and steak are also available.

The original Bismark is a bit out of the way, but it attracts families who settle down for hours at long wooden tables, while telenovelas (Latin American soap operas) play on the TV above the bar. Tuck into seafood cocktails, enormous grilled lobsters, or carne asada served with beans, guacamole, and homemade tortillas. Seafood tacos and micheladas are specialties at the malecón location, called Bismark-cito.

For those fortunate enough to stay at the sumptuous Posada La Poza just outside town, lunch at its equally lovely restaurant will be one of the highlights of your Los Cabos vacation. Owners Juerg and Libusche Wiesendanger call their offerings "Swiss-Mex"—Mexican food with European touches and careful attention to detail. Start with the vegetarian-based tortilla soup with three different types of dried chilies to give it just enough kick. Then sample the smoked-tuna flautas, quesadillas with chicken or shrimp, or marinated arrachera (flank steak) strips. You'll find dishes such as lamb shoulder in winter. Believe it or not, there is enough of an evening chill in the air that time of year that dining next to the fireplace feels cozy. Top your meal off with a sorbet, flan, or mousse, and possibly the best selection of wines in the region (all Mexican from northern Baja's Guadalupe Valley).The restaurant is open to hotel guests for breakfast (included in the room rate) and lunch; with dinner available by request from Sunday to Thursday. The restaurant is no longer open to the public, save for groups of six or more who reserve at least 48 hours in advance.

Locals swear by the mole poblano and chiles en nogada at this pleasant outdoor restaurant. The menu is ambitious and includes several organic, vegetarian options—rare in these parts. At night the place sparkles with star-shaped lights. Take a stroll through the adjoining landscaped desert garden while you wait for your food.

The freshest, tastiest seafood cocktails, ceviches, and clam tacos imaginable are served in this nautical restaurant crowded with locals. If you come with friends, go for the mariscada, a huge platter of shellfish and fish for four. The shrimp albondigas (meatballs) soup has a hearty fish stock seasoned with cilantro, and the crab ranchero is a savory mix of crabmeat, onions, tomatoes, and capers. Portions are huge.

A small stand that looks as if it might have been rolled along the street by a vendor is just the entryway decoration for this well-established restaurant. Whether you eat at a bench at the stand outside or dine within in the air-conditioning, if you like seafood, you will enjoy Los Laureles. It offers all sorts of fruits de mer served in many different ways, but the seafood cocktails are notable for their freshness (you can even try the shrimp raw) and variety (abalone is an option). A second location can be found at Altamirano and Reforma.

Everybody who dines here seems to know one another, but visitors are always welcome. The attraction at Michael's—not to be confused with Miguel's, the equally recommended Mexican place as you come into town—is an Asian menu combining Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisines. Share an order of Mu Shu chicken or Vietnamese crab cakes as an appetizer. You'll dine on the patio behind the Galería de Todos Santos; you can browse while you wait for your food. Michael's keeps very limited hours, open just three evenings per week.

Deliciously prepared chiles rellenos are the attraction at Miguel's. The sign out front says so, and so does a faded New York Times article, which proclaims them the best in all of Baja. If you're skeptical, owner Miguel Torres will be happy to show you a framed copy of the story. The hearty peppers come in cheese, shrimp, vegetarian, and other options, but the signature version is made with shrimp and scallops. Don't confuse this semi-outdoor place on the edge of town with Michael's, the Asian restaurant several blocks away near the church.

Everything is delicious, and prices are reasonable at this cheerful little restaurant painted in bright yellow and orange. Meats are the specialty here, but just about everything on the menu is good and choices are abundant. The tacos de arrachera, a kind of beef taco, are particularly tasty. You can pop in anytime, day or night, since this restaurant is open 24 hours.

La Paz has plenty of great taco shacks, but none are better than the small stand owned by the González brothers, who serve hunks of fresh fish wrapped in corn tortillas and offer bowls of condiments with which to decorate your taco. The top quality draws sizable crowds.