There are so many reasons why people visit Mexico. The sunshine, the culture and the delicious margaritas are just some.
But one thing that seems to rise above all others? The food!
When it comes to towns with ample Mexican taquerias, Cabo San Lucas shines, with taco restaurants all over the city. In fact, there are so many that it can be a little overwhelming.
So where can you get the best tacos in Cabo San Lucas?
Best Tacos in Cabo San Lucas
As we know Cabo well, we thought we’d put together this Cabo guide on where to find the most juicy, zesty, mouth-watering tacos. The only hard part will be which place to try first.
Okay, let’s go check out the best tacos in Los Cabos!
Note: All the following taco restaurants and places to eat are in the town of Cabo San Lucas (not in San Jose del Cabo or elsewhere in the larger Los Cabos area.) We’ve included the specific location for each place.
Oh, and if you’re wondering if it’s safe to eat the food (and have drinks with ice), read our post on safety in Cabo. We have a section on food and water safety there.
And the food at the following taco restaurants is quite safe to eat.
1) Tacos Gardenias
Fish and shrimp tacos are said to hail from the Baja California Peninsula.
When planning your vacation to Cabo, be sure to put Tacos Gardenias on your trip itinerary.
There’s nowhere better to try this local favorite.
In fact, we think they could serve some of the best fish tacos in Cabo San Lucas!
Bite into the flour tortillas (less common than corn tortillas in Mexico, but we actually prefer them) and taste the crunch of the batter, then the scrumptious shrimp (or fish) itself.
Plus, you can dress your taco however you’d like, with salsa, lime wedges, onion, cabbage and dressing laid out for you.
It’s not just tacos on the menu. Other menu items include quesadillas, seafood salads and tortilla soups.
Their lime margaritas are pretty wicked too.
Open from 8:00 am every day (before most other taquerias in Cabo), Tacos Gardenias is ideal for brunch, lunch or a post-beach snack. It’s one of those laid-back, unpretentious restaurants that has stood the test of time.
It’s cheap too, making Gardenias a particularly great spot when you want to reign in the costs of your Cabo trip.
We think it’ll always be a Cabo institution!
Tacos Gardenias: Google location
2) Metate Cabo
If you want to try tacos and more in an off-the-beaten-path setting, we have just the restaurant for you.
A few minutes’ drive outside of Cabo San Lucas, Metate Cabo is a farm-style restaurant that creates traditional Mexican cuisine – like tlyaudas with Oaxacan stringy cheese – as well as tacos.
We popped in one evening recently to try the fish tacos in squid ink tempura and cabbage salad – wrapped up in what we’d heard were delicious homemade tortillas.
But the TVs showing the soccer game put us off, so we decided we’d try again another time.
Metate Cabo: Google location
3) Tacos Guss
With many locals claiming it to be the best taco place in Cabo San Lucas, Tacos Guss serves beef, shrimp, chicken and pork tacos with a range of salads and salsas on the side.
Prices are cheap and the beers are cold!
You can top your taco with whatever salsa you like best. However, be mindful that, as this is an authentic Mexican taco joint, many of these salsas are incredibly picante (spicy)!
Indeed, one of our favorite facts about Mexican food is that chilis actually originated here. Then they spread across the globe – meaning Indian and Thai food wasn’t as spicy until they got chili from Mexico!
So be mindful that this is a country that really loves their spice, and you might want to use salsas with caution.
Tacos Guss: Google location
4) La Lupita Taco & Mezcal
Tacos? Check. Mezcal? Check.
La Lupita Taco & Mezcal is a trendy eatery with over 25 different types of tacos.
Whether you fancy classic pork, steak or chicken tacos; seafood tacos; duck with mole tacos; or vegetarian-friendly options (like mushroom-and-cactus and even Greek eggplant tacos), there are tacos for every dietary desire or requirement here.
This makes it an especially great place to go as a larger group.
And you can wash it all down with a mezcal, a strong smoky spirit that hails from the Oaxaca region.
La Lupita Taco & Mezcal: Google location
5) The Office on the Beach
A taco office? We’re sold!
Offering breakfast, lunch and dinner, The Office on the Beach headlines several taco options on the lunch menu. For example: Flour tortillas stuffed with lobster; shrimp tacos with Monterey cheese, garlic and onions; and fresh tortillas with black Angus steak.
Not everyone in your group fancies tacos? No worries. Soups, salads, burritos and fajitas are all on the menu too.
Once you’ve finished, the resto’s Medano Beach setting is the ideal place to kick back, sip on a Mexican margarita and watch the world go by.
The Office on the Beach: Google location
6) La Taquiza Centro
At La Taquiza Centro, you’re always guaranteed service with a smile. Famous for Oscar, the friendly bartender and waiter, this taco joint is as local as you get.
Which means, of course, that you’re guaranteed good food!
Choose a taco made with the catch-of-the-day or the classic crispy shrimp tacos, laden with creamy guacamole.
La Taquiza Centro: Google location
7) Las Guacamayas
If you’ve ever been to Mexico City, you’ll know all about al pastor tacos. Made with seasoned pork, pineapple and onion, they’re a staple all over the capital.
On the Baja Peninsula, shrimp is usually the star of every taco menu. However, at Las Guacamayas, you can enjoy the tacos of Chilangos (people from Mexico City) and see how they compare.
The restaurant cooks the al pastor meat in traditional style on a spit (like you might see a kebab being cooked in other cultures).
The meat is then cut off the spit and served up in corn tortillas, to be topped with other ingredients of your choosing.
For the toppings, you can add a range of salads and salsas – although traditionally they’re only sprinkled with pineapple, onion, salsa and a little cilantro.
Las Guacamayas: Google location
8) Taco Loco
Translating as “crazy taco,” Taco Loco offers classic shrimp, beef, chicken and al pastor tacos. Or you can try “el taco local,” which is essentially a giant burrito.
If someone in your party wants comfort food instead, Taco Loco also serves ciabatta sandwiches with a side of French fries.
Taco Loco: Google location
9) Mi Casa
Mi Casa is one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in Cabo.
It’s a more upscale restaurant you can go to for a full dinner and some drinks. But they have plenty of tasty tacos on the menu too.
Our favorite here is cochinita pibil, which has roasted pulled pork braised in an achiote marinade. They also serve tacos al pastor and the traditional Cabo San Lucas tacos de camaron (shrimp tacos) with zesty onion and fresh cilantro.
Are you taco-d out by this point?
It’s hard to imagine, but if so, there are other things on Mi Casa’s menu too. Try lobster enchiladas or chiles en nogoda (poblano chili stuffed with picadillo).
Another staple is mole poblano, which is chicken in mole sauce, made with dried chili, tomatillos, spices, chocolate and a multitude of other ingredients.
There are a whopping 35 ingredients in total in mole! It’s believed mole was created by accident in a convent in Puebla in the 17th century (although Oaxacans also claim that they created the sauce).
Mi Casa: Google location
10) Asi y Asado
With juicy meat and seafood wrapped up in homemade corn tortillas or a flavored variety, Asi y Asado is a no-nonsense taqueria focusing purely on tasty food. And it certainly delivers.
It’s a small roadside joint with few seats. The tacos come out quickly (feel free to keep ordering until you’re full!) and you can also order drinks.
Asi y Asado: Google location
11) Tabasco Beach
Located on Medano Beach, Tabasco Beach is one of Cabo’s more laid-back beach clubs and bars. And it’s the perfect place to bite into fresh seafood tacos while hearing the sound of (and looking at the) ocean waves.
We visit it at least once every time we visit Cabo.
Sit on chairs in the sand and gorge on sea bass, shrimp or al pastor tacos, and toast your companions with an ice-cold beer as you enjoy the Mexican sunshine!
Tabasco Beach: Google location
12) 1 & Only Taco
1 & Only Taco isn’t right on the tourist trail. This means prices are low and you won’t be fighting over the last shrimp taco with other hungry travelers.
However, this doesn’t mean the place isn’t worth visiting – it’s one of the best places to hit for authentic Los Cabos tacos.
Your mouth will water as soon as you smell their shrimp variety. They make some mean tacos with blue marlin too.
1 & Only Taco: Google location
13) Tacos Los Claros
Pull up a plastic chair at Tacos Los Claros, a local favorite, and feel immediately welcomed.
Their vast menu highlights crunchy shrimp tacos (they’re amongst some of the best shrimp tacos in Cabo!), juicy scallop tacos and Baja-style fish tacos. The seafood is battered and offers the perfect mixture of a crispy coating and succulent interior.
Once you’ve picked your tacos, top them with the extensive salad bar ingredients, including salsas and vegetables.
Plus, if you’re feeling spicy, wash your taco down with a jalapeno margarita.
Food and drinks are very affordable, and you’ll be sure to leave full and happy.
Tacos Los Claros: Google location
14) The Outpost
While The Outpost is indeed one of the best taco restaurants in Cabo San Lucas, it offers much more.
Whether you want a fruity margarita (or an avocado marg with coconut cream?) concocted by a professional mixologist, pork chops or pasta, there’s plenty paraded on the menu.
However, we’re guessing you’re wondering what’s on the taco menu, right?
Sample the shrimp tacos or opt for a chicharron or yellowfin variety. If your diet is plant-based, the friendly team can even offer a vegan option with guacamole and salsas.
Another reason to visit the outpost is the ambience.
The rooftop dining area with glittering lights is a very pleasant place to relax and enjoy a balmy Cabo evening, thank you very much.
Or you can opt for air-conditioned seating inside.
The Outpost: Google location
15) Taqueria El Paisa
Many of the restaurants we’ve covered here are perfect for a full meal or for grabbing some tacos before your evening activities.
But Taqueria El Paisa – a popular Mexican chain – is a hot spot for tacos after a few beverages.
It’s a budget place (cash only), famous for their tacos al pastor (the ones from Mexico City, remember?) and carne asada tacos (made with beef).
If you order either of these tacos, you can watch them being skillfully (and incredibly quickly) prepared before you take a seat and start noshing.
Taqueria El Paisa: Google location
Go on a Cabo taco tasting tour!
If you want to see downtown Cabo San Lucas with a knowledgeable guide and learn about tacos the best way – by eating them! – then consider this fun Cabo taco tasting tour.
It’s a walking tour with plenty of stops for food. You’ll visit the most local spots and eat a delicious variety of tacos, enough to keep you full for days.
And, pssst! There’s a tequila tasting at the end.
Now you know where to eat the most delicious tacos in Cabo San Lucas!
In Cabo San Lucas, you’re never far from multiple taco joints serving this delectable Mexican staple. And now you know which ones to add to your Cabo bucket list!
Whether you want traditional Baja tacos, ones with flour tortillas, al pastor, cheap eats or veggie options, there are some great taco places in Cabo to satisfy your taco craving.
Discover more of Los Cabos!
Planning your trip to Cabo?
Here are our favorite travel resources:
Resorts: Booking.com is great for scoring a “wow” hotel in Cabo – or at least a decent one. (We especially like their flexible cancellation policy!)
Vacation homes, condos and rentals: We prefer and use Vrbo (Vacation Rentals by Owner).
Tours: For the best local guided tours in Cabo, see Viator and GetYourGuide.
Car rental: Renting a car in Los Cabos is one of the best ways to explore. Discover Cars searches car rental companies so you get the best rates.
Travel insurance: SafetyWing is designed for frequent travelers, long-term adventurers and digital nomads. It covers medical expenses, lost checked luggage, trip interruption and more.
Need more help planning your trip? Check out our ultimate Cabo travel guide! It’s packed with crazy useful trip planning info.
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Photos: 2, 4, 5, 6 © Janice and George Mucalov, Cabo Visitor
About the authors
Award-winning travel writers Janice and George Mucalov are frequent visitors to Los Cabos. Here on Cabo Visitor, they share their essential tips for discovering the best of Cabo!