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For Cabo food, start with fish tacos and fresh seafood. Tacos Gardenias is a strong pick for fish or shrimp tacos, while Punta Médano Ceviche & Oyster Bar is one place to look for chocolate clams. For a cheaper, more local-feeling meal, try a taquería downtown instead of eating every meal at your resort. U.S. News Travel notes that dining in Cabo is generally expensive and points visitors to downtown taquerías for less costly food.
What should you eat in Cabo?
Put fish tacos at the top of the list. Tacos Gardenias serves fish and shrimp tacos, breaded or grilled, with lime in warm flour tortillas. It also has ceviche and seafood soup, so it works well if your group wants to order a few different things rather than commit to one dish. The Infatuation describes it as a local favorite and gives its address on Blvd. Lázaro Cárdenas in Cabo San Lucas.
Los Claros is another good bet for tacos, especially if you like choosing your own toppings. The restaurant is known for Sinaloa-style seafood tacos on flour tortillas, including smoked and shredded marlin and lightly breaded fish; its toppings include coleslaw, pickled red onions, pico de gallo and salsas. The Infatuation’s Cabo restaurant guide places it a few blocks from the main tourist quarters downtown.
For more than tacos, try ceviche or grilled fish. El Farallón brings in seafood daily and bases its menu on the catch, while its Baja Bounty is a mixed grill selection of fish or shrimp. That’s the special-occasion option, not the casual taco stop. The Infatuation recommends reserving well in advance.
| Dish or meal | Where to try it | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Fish or shrimp tacos | Tacos Gardenias | A casual seafood meal with grilled or breaded options. The Infatuation |
| Marlin or lightly breaded fish tacos | Los Claros | Trying different toppings from the condiments bar. The Infatuation |
| Chocolate clams | Punta Médano Ceviche & Oyster Bar | A seafood-focused stop; the dish is among its recommended orders. Mr. Playas |
| Catch of the day | El Farallón | A planned, higher-end seafood dinner. The Infatuation |
Where can you get fish tacos in Cabo?
For a straightforward answer, go to Tacos Gardenias or Los Claros. At Gardenias, you can choose fish or shrimp, breaded or grilled. At Los Claros, the smoked marlin and lightly breaded fish tacos are the standouts identified by the restaurant guide. The Infatuation covers both restaurants and their seafood taco menus.
If you’re staying around the marina, don’t assume the closest restaurant is the best place for an inexpensive taco. U.S. News recommends looking downtown or along the hotel corridor for taquerías, which it describes as cheaper and a way to get a more local dining experience. So plan a taco stop away from the resort dining room, then save the resort meal for when the setting is part of what you’re paying for. U.S. News Travel also notes that Cabo has attracted restaurants with European and North American menus, but seafood remains a local draw.
Want a wider restaurant shortlist? Our Cabo San Lucas restaurant guide covers more options, while the marina restaurant guide is useful if you’d rather stay close to the waterfront. For a meal in the other town, use our San José del Cabo restaurant guide.
Find a Place to Stay Near the Food
Compare Cabo areas and hotel prices before you book, especially if you want to walk to restaurants.
What about chocolate clams and aguachile?
Chocolate clams are the clearer specialty to seek out from the restaurant information available for this guide. Mr. Playas lists them among the recommended orders at Punta Médano Ceviche & Oyster Bar, alongside ceviche, oysters and grilled octopus. It also reports that an August 2026 reviewer mentioned a four-course chef’s tasting, but that’s a reported experience, not a standing menu or price to count on. Check the restaurant’s current menu before you go. Mr. Playas
Aguachile is on many travelers’ lists of local dishes to look for, but the sources checked for this guide don’t verify a specific Cabo restaurant serving it. If it’s the dish you’re set on trying, ask the restaurant what’s on the current menu before making a special trip. That’s better than treating an unconfirmed menu item as a sure thing.
Ceviche is a more dependable seafood order in the restaurant information we reviewed. Tacos Gardenias serves it, and Punta Médano is recommended for ceviche as well. For a more elaborate version, Cayao’s scallop ceviche is described with jicama, basil and tiger’s milk, served in a clam shell. The Infatuation covers the Gardenias and Cayao dishes, while Mr. Playas includes ceviche among Punta Médano’s recommended orders.
How do you choose where to eat?
Match the restaurant to the meal. Tacos Gardenias and Los Claros are practical picks when tacos are the point. El Farallón is better for a planned special-occasion dinner, and Flora Farms is a farm-to-table option in San José del Cabo, where the menu changes seasonally and the farm grows vegetables and herbs served on site. U.S. News Travel recommends El Farallón for a special meal and lists Flora’s Field Kitchen for farm-to-table dining; The Infatuation describes Flora Farms’ seasonal approach.
For a more casual traditional Mexican meal, U.S. News names Edith’s, Mi Casa, Tiki Cabo San Lucas and Hacienda Cocina y Cantina. Don Sanchez is a different style, traditional Mexican cooking with an innovative approach. If you’re choosing between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo for dinner, check the restaurant location before you book; the dining options span both areas. U.S. News Travel
Before you go
Don’t plan every meal around a resort restaurant. A downtown taquería is the useful counterpoint: simpler, more focused, and a chance to try seafood tacos without making dinner a production. U.S. News says Cabo dining is generally expensive and recommends taquerías for cheaper meals. U.S. News Travel
For fish tacos, choose Tacos Gardenias or Los Claros. For chocolate clams, check Punta Médano’s current menu. And if aguachile is your priority, confirm that it’s being served before you head out. That’s a more useful food plan than trying to find one restaurant that does every local dish well.
Quick answers
What should I eat in Cabo?
Start with fish tacos, then try seafood such as ceviche or the chocolate clams listed at Punta Médano Ceviche & Oyster Bar. Cabo’s dining options also include traditional Mexican restaurants and farm-to-table meals.
Where can I get fish tacos in Cabo?
Tacos Gardenias serves fish and shrimp tacos, grilled or breaded. Los Claros is another option, with smoked marlin and lightly breaded fish tacos.
Where can I try chocolate clams in Cabo?
Mr. Playas lists chocolate clams among the recommended orders at Punta Médano Ceviche & Oyster Bar. Check the current menu before you go.
Where can I get aguachile in Cabo?
The sources checked for this guide don’t confirm a specific Cabo restaurant serving aguachile. Ask a restaurant about its current menu before making a special trip.
