Los Cabos has many restaurants that range in style, food type, and of course, price. There are amazing family-owned restaurants that have been operating for over 20 years in all areas of BCS. The ones that have survived have often also passed from one family member to another. For this column, we have chosen three great local family-owned Mexican restaurants that serve authentic foods and have met the test of time. Each of them is worth a visit. You will not be disappointed.
San Jose de Cabo: Rigos Restaurant Bar and Grill. When we first started going to Rigos Restaurant in the 1990s, it was a small place all alone on the way to the airport. Frutas y Veduras was the only store nearby. It was a great local place for lunch and dinner. The original restaurant is now where most people sit for breakfast and there is a new large room under a palapa where we were seated for our dinner. The menu has a great deal of choice – appetizers, a long list of seafood dishes (hot and cold), fresh fish, chile rellenos, enchiladas, fajitas, tacos, quesadillas, steaks, chicken, and brochetas (kabobs).
Beth and I went for dinner. As we reviewed the menu, our server brought us tortilla chips with fresh Pico de Gallo and salsa and we ordered our drinks. For a main course, Beth chose the chicken fajitas. The platter was huge with enough chicken and vegetables for a least two people. The fajitas were served with rice, guacamole and flour tortillas. I decided to try the garlic-grilled fish. Once again, the portion was very large with five pieces of fish covered with chunks of garlic and served with salad, rice, and guacamole. There was enough fish for me to take three of the five filets home for dinner for the next day.
Our server was great. The food had very large portions, great flavor, and at a very reasonable price. This is definitely a place to visit often in San Jose del Cabo.
https://www.facebook.com/restaurantrigos
Cabo San Lucas: Baja Cantina. If you have walked around the marina in Cabo San Lucas, you have seen all of the restaurants that surround it with views of the boats and yachts. One of the most popular is Baja Cantina, located across from the entrance to docks L, M, and N, it has been there since 1991. This palapa-covered outdoor restaurant with a great view offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with extensive menus for each meal.
I recently stopped for breakfast. The menu offers Fit and Healthy Choices – tofu, fruit, parfait – waffles and pancakes, all types of egg dishes, Favorites – chilaquiles, Steak Benedict, French Toast, breakfast sandwiches, enchiladas – and lots of Extras. I ordered my favorite, Huevos a la Mexican, a fresh-squeezed orange juice, and a Diet Coke. The scrambled eggs with veggies were served with hash browns, refried beans in a pasty cup, and flour tortillas. The platter was large and tasted great. I was on a high-protein diet but could not turn down the hash browns and refried beans.
My breakfast was late in the morning and a lot of guests were just arriving for lunch. The lunch menu has appetizers, soups and salads, seafood, pasta, Mexican favorites, burgers and sandwiches, specialties – steaks, shrimp, catch of the day, tuna, ribs – and of course, desserts. My server made a table-side guacamole for the guests at the table next to me. It is always great to watch skilled servers make something table-side.
The atmosphere was great, the service was very attentive and friendly, the food was good quality and portion size, and the prices were very reasonable. We will definitely be back to try lunch or dinner.
https://bajacantinamarina.com/ https://www.facebook.com/BajaCantinaMarina
Todos Santos: La Catrina Cantina. Located on Colegio Militar across from the park and Pizzeria Romantica in Todos Santos in downtown Todos Santos is La Catrina Cantina. This small Mexican restaurant has seating both inside and outside. There is a side room in what appears to be the original space that includes a couch and table and a bar. The inside is decorated with colorful banners, Mexican artwork, and small Day of the Dead sculptures on a fireplace. There are a number of small TVs to show sports – the Montreal Grand Prix was playing when were there. The menu has appetizers, snacks, salads, fajitas, steaks, pasta and specialties – shrimp, ribs, and chicken.
We decided to start our meal with guacamole and chips. The guacamole had tomato and onion mixed in and was very good. For our main lunch items, our daughter Chava ordered vegetarian Quesadillas that were served with guacamole and Pico de Gallo. Beth and I shared chicken fajitas. The platter of fajitas, with both corn and flour tortillas was piled high with chicken and lots of vegetables – green and red peppers, onions, and also came with guacamole and Pico de Gallo. The flavor of the chicken and vegetables was one of the best that I have ever had in Los Cabos. There was definitely more than enough food to keep two diners happy.
The portion sizes were good. The flavors were excellent. Our server, Pavel was very friendly and helpful. He always had a smile on his face. This is a good place to stop in Todos Santos.
https://lacatrinacantina.com.mx/ https://www.facebook.com/CatrinaCantina.