What to eat in Los Cabos: fish tacos, smoked marlin, chocolate clams, lobster and the catch of the day
Five things to eat in Los Cabos, what each one is, where locals send you for it and how food works on a private yacht day.
In this guide
- What should you eat in Los Cabos? The quick list
- What is a Baja fish taco, and where do you get one in Cabo?
- What are Sinaloa-style seafood tacos?
- What are chocolate clams?
- Where do you eat lobster in Cabo San Lucas?
- What is "cook your catch" in Cabo?
- Where do you eat breakfast near the marina before a charter?
- How do you eat on a yacht day in Cabo?
- Planning the boat part
What to eat in Los Cabos comes down to seafood: Baja-style fish and shrimp tacos, Sinaloa-style tacos with smoked marlin and callo, chocolate clams, spiny lobster and the fish that came in that morning. Tacos Gardenias near Médano Beach does the fish and shrimp tacos, Los Claros downtown does the Sinaloa ones, Comal at Chileno Bay serves chocolate clams, Lorenzillo's on the marina is built around lobster, and Captain Tony's and Fisherman's Landing will cook a fish you caught. All of it is a short ride from Marina Cabo San Lucas, where our yachts board.
Hours below were checked in October 2026. Confirm before you go, because they change with the season.
What should you eat in Los Cabos? The quick list
| Dish | What it is | Where to try it |
|---|---|---|
| Fish and shrimp tacos | Battered, fried fish or shrimp in a corn tortilla with cabbage and a creamy sauce | Tacos Gardenias, Paseo de la Marina |
| Smoked marlin and callo tacos | Sinaloa-style seafood tacos: chopped smoked marlin, raw scallop with lime | Los Claros, downtown |
| Chocolate clams | A large Baja clam, Megapitaria squalida | Comal, Chileno Bay |
| Lobster | Red spiny lobster from Baja's Pacific coast | Lorenzillo's, on the marina |
| Your own catch | A fish you caught, cooked the way you ask | Captain Tony's, Fisherman's Landing |
What is a Baja fish taco, and where do you get one in Cabo?
A Baja-style fish taco is a piece of mild white fish, battered and deep fried, served in a corn tortilla with shredded cabbage, a thin creamy sauce, salsa and lime. A shrimp taco is the same idea with battered shrimp. Ensenada, up the peninsula, is usually named as the place it started, though the exact origin is argued about.
In Cabo San Lucas, the name people pass along for these is Tacos Gardenias, a family taquería on Paseo de la Marina, near Médano Beach, that has been serving fish and shrimp tacos for decades. It's close to the marina and the Médano hotels, so it works as a lunch after a morning on the water.
Squeeze the lime over everything and go easy on the salsa until you've tasted it.
What are Sinaloa-style seafood tacos?
Sinaloa, across the Gulf of California from Baja, has its own seafood tradition: ceviches, aguachiles, cocktails and tacos built on smoked and raw fish. Two words to know on the menu:
- Marlin ahumado: smoked marlin, chopped and cooked with tomato and seasoning, then heaped into a tortilla.
- Callo: the firm white muscle of a scallop or pen shell clam, usually served raw and cured in lime.
Los Claros, on Ignacio Zaragoza in downtown Cabo San Lucas, makes Sinaloa-style seafood tacos with callo, smoked marlin and fish. As of October 2026 it's open 10 AM to 9 PM. If you only order one thing, make it the smoked marlin. It's the taco you won't find back home.
What are chocolate clams?
Chocolate clams, almejas chocolatas in Spanish, are a large clam (Megapitaria squalida) from the Gulf of California and the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur. They are one of the most important clam fisheries in the state, and you see them on seafood menus around Los Cabos.
The place we'd point you to is Comal, at Chileno Bay, which the Michelin Guide lists as a Recommended restaurant. Chocolate clams are on its menu next to wagyu barbacoa. Chileno Bay is also the cove our longer charters stop at to snorkel. Our Michelin restaurants guide has the rest of the list.
Where do you eat lobster in Cabo San Lucas?
The lobster on Baja menus is mostly the red spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus), fished along the Pacific coast of the peninsula. A spiny lobster has no big front claws, so the meat is all in the tail, and it's usually split and grilled or cooked in butter.
Lorenzillo's calls itself "the house of lobster" and sits on the marina at Blvd. Lázaro Cárdenas and the Malecón, with a terrace built out over the water. As of October 2026 it's open from noon to 10:30 PM, which makes it an easy dinner after an afternoon charter: the yachts come back to the same marina.
What is "cook your catch" in Cabo?
Cook your catch means a restaurant takes the fish you caught that day and cooks it for you. On the marina, two places are known for it. Captain Tony's, a palapa on the boardwalk whose sign reads "You hook it, we cook it", will prepare your fish in up to four styles, as long as it came from licensed sportfishing and isn't a protected species.
Ask the price when you arrive; we don't publish one. Our cook your catch guide has the details.
Of our yachts, only the McKinna 70 fishes, on its sport-fishing charter with the Mexican licenses included; the others are pleasure yachts without fishing permits. If you want to cook your catch, book the McKinna 70's fishing charter or another licensed fishing trip, and use a yacht day for the Arch, snorkeling and the sunset.
Both restaurants are also useful as meeting points. The Chaparral 28 and the Bayliner 30 board on the boardwalk by Captain Tony's, and the Sea Ray 65 meets you at Fisherman's Landing from 8 AM. Captain Tony's opens at 5:30 AM and Fisherman's Landing at 7 AM (as of October 2026), so breakfast before boarding is easy.
Where do you eat breakfast near the marina before a charter?
Morning charters leave from 7 AM, and the restaurants around the marina open early for the fishing fleet. As of October 2026:
- Captain Tony's opens at 5:30 AM and is known for its wood-fired pizzas, chilaquiles and sashimi.
- Baja Cantina opens at 7 AM, with chilaquiles, Steak Benedict and pancakes on an open-air palapa over the marina. The Azimut 45 meets you there.
- Fisherman's Landing opens at 7 AM, over the water.
- Solomon's Landing opens at 8 AM. Its chilaquiles and French toast were on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives".
- The Office on the Beach, on Médano Beach, opens at 7 AM.
How do you eat on a yacht day in Cabo?
None of the dishes above are on our yacht menu; that's restaurant food. What you can order is an optional menu for the day, picked in the planner when you book and waiting on board when you arrive. Prices are in pesos, cash; paying by card adds 16%.
| From the menu | Cash price |
|---|---|
| Chilaquiles and beans, or huevos rancheros | MXN 325 |
| Burrito box lunch | MXN 289 |
| Tuna box lunch | MXN 238 |
| Small board | MXN 780 |
| Mexican feast for 6 to 8 people | MXN 2,600 |
| Mexican feast for 14 to 16 people | MXN 4,550 |
On two yachts the food is part of the charter. The Azimut 70 includes a menu on board (fish ceviche, sashimi, beef or chicken fajitas, guacamole with chips) and complimentary beer and cocktails served by its crew of three, from USD 4,199 (MXN 79,799) for three hours. The McKinna 70 has a chef who cooks a multi-course menu on board, plus welcome snacks, fresh guacamole and complimentary drinks, from USD 4,499 (MXN 85,499) for three hours.
On every other yacht nothing alcoholic is sold or served. Guests 18 and over can bring their own drinks in the cooler.
A day that covers the whole list could look like this: chilaquiles at Captain Tony's, a two-hour charter to the Arch on the Chaparral 28 at USD 519 (MXN 9,799), fish tacos for lunch, and lobster on the marina at night. Our marina restaurants guide and the best restaurants in Cabo San Lucas fill in the rest.
Planning the boat part
Yacht prices are per boat, with the 16% tax included. A 15% tip for the crew is suggested and not included. Departures run from 7 AM to 7 PM, with a two-hour minimum on most yachts and three hours on the Sea Ray 55, the Sea Ray 65, the Azimut 70 and the McKinna 70.
Pick your date and group size in the planner, add the food from the menu there, and we reply within two hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time. If you'd rather compare boats first, the fleet page has all of them side by side.
Yachts in this guide
Questions people ask
What food is Los Cabos known for?
Seafood. The short list is Baja-style fish and shrimp tacos, Sinaloa-style seafood tacos with smoked marlin and callo, chocolate clams, spiny lobster and whatever fish came in that morning, which some marina restaurants will cook for you if you caught it on a licensed fishing trip.
Where can I get fish tacos in Cabo San Lucas?
Tacos Gardenias, a family taquería on Paseo de la Marina near Médano Beach, is known for fish and shrimp tacos. For Sinaloa-style seafood tacos with smoked marlin and callo, Los Claros is on Ignacio Zaragoza in downtown Cabo, open 10 AM to 9 PM as of October 2026.
What are chocolate clams?
Chocolate clams (almejas chocolatas) are a large clam, Megapitaria squalida, harvested in the Gulf of California and along the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur. In Los Cabos you find them at seafood places and at Comal, the Michelin Recommended restaurant at Chileno Bay.
Can I eat on a private yacht in Cabo?
Yes. You order from the optional menu in our planner and it's on board when you arrive: a Mexican feast for 6 to 8 is MXN 2,600, a burrito box lunch MXN 289. The Azimut 70 includes fish ceviche, sashimi, fajitas and guacamole, and the McKinna 70 has a chef on board.
Plan your day on the water
Pick a yacht, the hours and the food in the planner. A written reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time.
Keep reading
Things to doCook Your Catch in Cabo: Where and How It WorksTwo marina restaurants in Cabo will cook the fish you caught. Here is what they accept, what to tell your crew and what to ask.6 min read
Things to doCabo Marina Restaurants: Where to Eat Near Your DockSix restaurants a short walk from the docks, their hours, and which of them is the meeting point for your yacht.7 min read
Things to doBest Restaurants in Cabo San Lucas: 7 Must-Try PicksSeven restaurants across Los Cabos worth planning around, from the Michelin star to a taco counter, and the boat day each one pairs with.7 min read