Coastal Calm, Culinary Fire

Look Beyond Cabo and Puerto Vallarta Hotels, Bars, and Beaches to Find Immersive Food Adventures

By John Lehndorff

Everybody knows about Cabo San Lucas—the famous movie stars, the breathtaking beaches and golf courses, and the tequila-infused nightlife. But serious food-loving travelers who head to the southern end of Mexico’s Baja California are after something different. They appreciate the region’s signature fried-fish tacos and its 14 Michelin-recognized fine-dining restaurants, yet they want to escape the crowded resort bubble and dive into real Mexican food, drink, and culture. To do that, they need guides they can trust.

Denver restaurateur Alex Seidel is one such guide. A golf enthusiast, he spends part of the year in Cerritos, a small coastal town near Cabo San Lucas. “A lot of people think that I’m down on the beach in Mexico and retired,” Seidel says with a grin. “We’re building a second home planted with banana, pomegranate, and papaya trees. It’s a quiet little haven where I can breathe and turn the volume down.” Seidel first cooked in Cabo San Lucas in 2017 and instantly fell in love with the region. Local chefs became his guides, showing him where to shop and eat.

Seidel, named Best Chef: Southwest in 2018 by the James Beard Foundation for his Denver restaurant Fruition, is now a partner in Mercantile dining & provision and Denver International Airport locations, as well as the owner of three Chook Chicken eateries and Füdmill bakery. “People always ask me where to eat and drink when they go to Cabo. I tell them to get outside Cabo San Lucas,” he says. The town itself is a resort hub at the tip of Baja California, but its neighboring towns—San José del Cabo and Todos Santos—offer more authentic, less touristy experiences.

Whether at a simple taco shop or a high-end oceanfront bistro, fresh seafood is at the heart of Baja cuisine. Seidel especially loves San José del Cabo for its culture, local markets, and genuine community. “One of my favorite places is El Toro Güero,” he says. “That’s where I go for the local chocolate clams—an incredible flavor unlike any clam you’ve had.” He also recommends Lumbre, where chef Cesar Pita thoughtfully blends Japanese and Mexican influences, as well as Carbon Cabron for wood-fired dishes and La Lupita Taco & Mezcal for upscale tacos with house-made tortillas.

Farther up the coast in Todos Santos, the region’s agricultural heritage shines. “Chef Javier Plascencia’s Jazamango is really serving true farm-to-table food,” Seidel says. Near the beach in Los Cerritos, the iconic Barracuda Cantina draws its fair share of influencers, but Seidel still considers it a must-visit. “Their tuna aguachile is spectacular—fresh, spicy, served with salsa macha. Everyone down there has their own salsa macha, made from dried chiles, nuts, and oil.”

He also casts a vote for Carnitas Miguel in El Pescadero. “They do a thicker, fluffier corn masa gordita—almost like a chewy pita pocket—filled with carnitas mixta: various meats, vegetables, innards, skin, all the good things.” After recovering from recent back issues, Seidel says he’s ready to golf again. His son has insisted they try Quivira Golf Club on their next trip, and Seidel already knows where to stop for food: “You can get a great birria taco at this little dive, Birria de Res Los Montaño.”

Taco Tours: Guided Culinary Adventures in Baja

Food and drink tours were never on chef Enrique Chavelas’ bucket list. He was busy running his restaurant in Puerto Vallarta when he realized visitors needed guidance. “They kept asking where else they should eat, shop, and drink. They needed someone to show them,” he says. That realization led Chavelas and his family to launch Juan More Taco Tours, which now guides visitors in resort towns such as Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, and San José del Cabo. “We want to share local culture and cuisine with people willing to go beyond the hotels,” he explains.

Chavelas takes guests to taco carts, small family restaurants, candy shops, tamal vendors, and homes where ceviche is sold. Tours typically include five or six stops, offering everything from seafood tostadas to elotes and churros. Some tours include evening cooking classes and agave-based mixology lessons, followed by dance instruction in cha-cha, merengue, and cumbia. The company is also rolling out tours for culinary adventurers seeking more unusual dishes such as tacos de cabeza, tripa, and lengua.

Cooking classes in Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo begin at local markets, butcher shops, tortilla makers, and fish stalls. For small groups, cooking takes place inside the chef’s home for a relaxed, intimate experience. Larger groups use restaurant kitchens. “They learn dishes, techniques, ingredients, and then everyone sits together to eat,” Chavelas says. “That’s the most important part to me.”