The legendary Cabo San Lucas party restaurant and dance club is an institution since 1992. Multiple levels of dining, dancing, tequila shots, and entertainment make El Squid Roe the rowdy heart of Cabo's nightlife-dining scene. The food is solid Mexican classics and the experience is pure Cabo excess.
El Squid Roe has stood on Bulevar Lazaro Cardenas in downtown Cabo San Lucas since 1989 and is less a restaurant with a bar attached than a multi-storey entertainment building that also serves food. Part of the Grupo Anderson's family of Mexican party restaurants, it occupies three levels connected by open staircases and balconies, with the ground floor given over to booths and long tables, the middle level to a dance floor, and the upper deck to views over the Cabo nightlife strip. The kitchen keeps to Mexican-American crowd food executed competently and in volume: tacos de marlin made with the smoked marlin that is a genuine Baja California Sur staple, around $14; sizzling fajitas near $18; and nachos, quesadillas, burgers and ribs. The margarita bucket at roughly $40 is the emblematic order and explains the arithmetic of the place better than any dish. There is no meaningful wine programme; the beverage list is built on tequila, buckets of beer, blended margaritas and shot service, and staff work the room with whistles and trays. The character of the dining room shifts sharply with the clock. Between opening at 10AM and roughly 8PM it functions as an ordinary loud lunch spot where families and cruise-ship day visitors eat tacos under ceiling fans amid pop-culture bric-a-brac, licence plates and antique signage. After about 10PM the tables clear, the music volume climbs, dancing takes over and it becomes one of the busiest nightclubs on the Baja peninsula, running until 3AM. Dress is entirely casual at every hour. Reservations are not part of the model, since seating is first-come and groups are simply absorbed into whatever space exists, though large parties can sometimes arrange a table by calling ahead during high season. Spring break in March, Christmas week and the sportfishing tournament weekends in October produce the heaviest crowds, and queues to enter form on the sidewalk. For visitors wanting Cabo's most concentrated expression of its party reputation, this is the address; for anyone seeking a quiet meal, the nearby marina restaurants are a better match.
Signature dishes
- Tacos de Marlin — $14
- Margarita Bucket — $40
- Fajitas — $18
Good to know
- Known for
- High-energy dining and entertainment
- Hours
- 10AM-3AM daily
Location
Bulevar Lázaro Cárdenas s/n, Cabo San Lucas, BCS 23450
22.8927, -109.9028 View on map
Highlights
- Three connected levels running from booth dining downstairs to a full dance floor and open-air upper deck.
- Tacos de marlin built on smoked marlin, a genuine Baja California Sur staple, around $14.
- The margarita bucket at roughly $40, the order the restaurant is best known for.
- Open 10AM to 3AM daily, shifting from casual taco lunch to one of Cabo's busiest nightclubs.
- Downtown Cabo San Lucas location on Bulevar Lazaro Cardenas, walkable from the marina hotels.
Tips for visiting
- Arrive before 8PM for a genuine meal; after roughly 10PM the tables give way to dancing and food service becomes an afterthought.
- Lunch is markedly cheaper than the night operation, when bucket and bottle service drive the bill sharply upward.
- Ask for a balcony table on the second level for the best view of the room without standing in the middle of it.
- No reservations are taken for ordinary tables; large groups should call ahead during the December to April high season.
- Prices are in US dollars and card payment is standard, but keeping small bills for tips speeds up bar service.
- March spring break and Christmas week bring sidewalk queues; a weeknight in September is far more comfortable.
When to visit
Late morning to early evening suits a straightforward taco lunch with the building nearly empty; after 10PM the nightclub takes over and queues form on Bulevar Lazaro Cardenas. March and the Christmas fortnight are the most crowded weeks of the year.
Accessibility
The ground-floor dining level is entered from the street without steps and can accommodate wheelchair users, but the upper levels and dance floor are reached only by open staircases with no lift. Floors become crowded and slippery late in the evening, so daytime visits are considerably easier for anyone with limited mobility.
Frequently asked questions
Is El Squid Roe a restaurant or a nightclub?
Both, at different hours. It serves casual Mexican food from 10AM through the evening, then converts to a dance club that runs until 3AM.
Is it suitable for families?
During daytime and early evening, yes, and families eat there regularly. After about 9PM the atmosphere becomes adults-oriented and loud.
Can tables be reserved?
Ordinary seating is first-come. Larger groups can sometimes arrange a table by phoning ahead in high season, and bottle-service tables are booked separately.
What does a meal cost?
Around $25 to $40 per person for food and a couple of drinks at lunch. Night-time bucket and shot service pushes the figure considerably higher.
Where exactly is it?
On Bulevar Lazaro Cardenas in downtown Cabo San Lucas, a short walk from the marina and the main hotel strip on Playa El Medano.