Best Beach Restaurants in Cabo San Lucas

Although technically an offshoot of Bar Esquina, the popular bar and eatery at the nearby Bahia Hotel and Beach Club, SUR is a destination drinking and dining spot in its own right thanks to its creative cocktails and superb seafood focused fare, plus an atmosphere that manages to be both fashionably chic and barefoot casual. This is the premier brunch spot (with bottle service) on Médano Beach, as well as a mecca for morning yoga and convivial sunset celebrations. It's also the top stop for water bikes and stand up paddle boarding rentals. Breakfast bagels, espresso drinks, juices and smoothies are the top choices during morning hours. For more filling fare later in the day, try the raw bar or sample platters featuring fresh local seafood.

Tabasco doesn't get the same publicity as Mango Deck and The Office, but this is one of the most popular places to hang out on Médano Beach, with a sun deck boasting terrific views of Land's End and the local seaside scene, and a menu featuring unpretentious fare like omelets and burgers, as well as fresh local seafood served up in ceviches and shrimp cocktails. All the beachside tables are shaded by umbrellas during the day, and there are also plenty of ice-cooled beverages available for those looking to beat the Baja heat. Water-based rentals and activities can also be arranged at Tabasco's, from wave runners to parasailing trips.

Hotel Hacienda was the first hotel ever to open in Cabo San Lucas in 1963, although there's a world of difference between that modest property, built by pioneer developer Rod Rodriguez (of Palmilla fame), and the luxurious Hacienda Beach Club & Residences developed on the same magnificent site — at the juncture of the Marina and Médano Beach — by another pioneer developer, Don Koll, in the early 2000s. The latter is among the most exclusive, expensive and spectacular properties in the region, although anyone who is either curious or hungry is welcome to dine at the superb onsite restaurant, Hacienda Cocina y Cantina. Traditional Mexican cuisine and an elegant barefoot-friendly setting distinguish the beachfront eatery, which looks out across the bay to Land's End. Tortilla soup, chicken mole, and shrimp chile rellenos are among the many house specialties.

The best views in Cabo San Lucas are found at Rooftop 360, a spectacular new rooftop lounge atop the newly opened Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa. Not only does the resort boast an unbeatable setting overlooking Médano Beach, but because the rooftop here towers over every other property on the beach, the Land's End vantages and wraparound views of the city here are both breathtaking and unmatched. Tropical chic furnishings and a roof's edge infinity pool add to the attraction, as do the tasty menu and creative cocktails, plus expanded late hours on weekends (Rooftop 360 remains open until 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday). Sushi is a specialty here, as is México's comfort food non pareil, tacos. All kinds of tacos (samplers are available). Creative cocktails and an enormous selection of beers, wines and spirits are also on tap.

Every day feels like Spring Break at Mango Deck. Looking for a place with bikini contests? Sex position contests? Banana eating contests? A mustachioed Pancho Villa lookalike named Big Johnson who carries holsters filled with tequila bottles, and crisscrossed bandoliers packed with shot glasses? Check, check, check and check. Order a bucket of ice cold Coronas and settle in for a memorable visit at Cabo's most iconic beachfront party spot. Heck, you can even rent a wave runner here, although most are content to work on their tans, with occasional "beer ballast" from the full restaurant menu. The fare is mostly Mexican, but the kitchen dishes up everything from pastas and fresh local seafood to BBQ, burgers and other typical pub grub.

Baja California Sur's first brewery has two locations — the original in San José del Cabo, and a rooftop aerie at Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa — both of which have proved exceedingly popular with tourists and locals alike. Fine food is available for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with menu options ranging from hamburgers and gourmet pizzas to New York Strip steak and other entrées. The beers are excellent, either in a bottle or on tap, and you can order flights of the draft beer for a sudsy overview of their offerings. If you can only visit one of their locations, check out the rooftop brew pub at Corazón Cabo, which offers gorgeous views of Playa El Médano and the granite monuments at Land's End.

The signature restaurant at the newly opened Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa, situated in the heart of Playa El Médano, Aleta is a mecca for seafood lovers, from starters like fresh salmon paté to main courses such as sesame seared tuna steak, zarandeado yellow snapper, grilled octopus and lobster enchiladas. But this comfy beachfront eatery, with its pillow backed seating and ocean views, also serves up breakfast and lunch faves, as well as steaks (arrachera, rib-eye, beef filet and New York prime) and upscale comfort food like truffle fries and cheese crackling. An enormous menu of cocktails also satisfies, as do the cold beers and Baja wines.

One of the longest-running of all the Playa El Médano based beach bars — 26 years and counting — The Sand Bar remains a benchmark beach hang, right up there with Mango Deck and The Office among must-visit beachfront cantinas in Cabo San Lucas. Start your day at the beach with cocktails and fresh ceviche, the latter among several available menu items featuring fresh and delicious local seafood. Like many cantinas on Médano Beach, The Sand Bar also offers water-based rentals, including kayaks, wave runners and stand up paddle boards. The coolest and certainly the most relaxing of all the amenities, however, are the rooftop massages. Enjoy fresh sea breezes, fantastic views of Land's End, and a very affordable, stress-relieving 50, 60 or 90-minute massage.

The most common reason to come to Cabo Pulmo is for world-class snorkeling and diving on the living coral reef offshore. But the beach here is gorgeous, too, and there's no better place to enjoy the laid-back vibes than the aptly named Tacos & Beer. What else could you possibly want from a beachfront restaurant other than umbrella shaded picnic tables loaded with delicious seafood focused tacos, icy local beer (pass on the Pacifico and go for the local suds from Cabo Pulmo Brewing), with breathtaking Sea of Cortés views as a bonus? If the fish, shrimp, octopus and beef tacos don't appeal, there are also seafood ceviches, aguachiles and quesadillas to choose from.

Ready for a not so tough day at The Office? This palapa-topped beachfront restaurant is the best dining option on Médano Beach — and has been for decades — whether beachgoers are seeking hearty breakfasts featuring omelets or waffles, brunch and lunch favorites like seafood cocktails or avocado with tuna salad, or dinnertime standards like grilled sea bass or coconut shrimp. Surf and turf combos with steak and lobster are also a specialty, as are Mexican dishes showcasing arrachera, chile rellenos, nachos, and fajitas. The Office boasts first-class live music and entertainment, too, most famously the Thursday night Gran Fiesta Mexicana with folkloric singing, dancing, fireworks and fun-filled contests.