The Crazy Lobster Bar and Grill

June 24, 2009

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur – When our arrangements were finalized and I realized we’d be heading for Mexico, I had only one thing on my mind; lobster! I had heard many times from many people about how good and inexpensive lobster was here. I was not going to be denied on this trip so I asked a friend who knows the area for a recommendation. She offered up The Crazy Lobster and sister restaurant The Sleepless Lobster.

The Crazy Lobster is within a relatively short walk of the marina, located on Hidalgo’s restaurant row. In case you are new to the area, the street is actually called Calle Miguel Hidalgo but everyone refers to it as just Hidalgo. You can see the Crazy Lobster sign as soon as you turn up Hidalgo from the marina. The restaurant is right there on the sidewalk. No doors to open, no alley to walk down. The grill anchors one end of the dining area, the bar the other. Another seating area can be found in back. Their website says they hold 70 people. When we arrived during lunchtime, there were two other couples and one large group of about 25 in the covered, open air dining area.

One of the draws of this place is the 8 peso Cuervo tequila shots. I came for the lobster but I could see how the insanely small price of shots would bring large crowds. Of course, they serve food, too. You’ll find standard Mexican fare such as tacos, enchiladas, and burritos. And, being that Cabo is bordered by the Pacific on one side and the Sea of Cortez on the other, seafood is a must. In addition to the eponymous crustaceans, fish and shrimp are available. Here’s the best part: it’s cheaper than the marina!

The menu itself is its own entertainment. After you decide what you want to order, take a look at some of the fine print. One area encourages you to ask your server about dessert because the waiter won’t tell you. Another area is not printable here but when you read it you’ll understand completely why it’s there.

The online menu says Cuervo tequila shots are 7 pesos, but at press time that had gone up to 8 pesos. Crazy Lobster mixes up a mean, strong, good-tasting margarita. Emphasis on strong. They don’t skimp on this one. If you are an occasional imbiber, be careful. Its potency is not felt immediately. In fact, you may finish the first one and start on a second before it kicks in. If cerveza is what floats your boat, several different brands are represented here, especially the Mexican imprints.

My intent was to have just one Cuervo shot. But one shot didn’t do anything for me and they were only 8 pesos… So I got another one. It is not hard to see how easily you can get into trouble with 8 peso tequila shots. Which is why I drew the line right there. I also ordered a Sol cerveza. My wife had two margaritas. Yeah, the one I told you about earlier.

Chips and salsa are brought to your table with a Gringo salsa, and a hotter red salsa. We destroyed these in short order, leaving us no choice but to ask for a refill.

Being a combo man, I got the NY steak and lobster combo. If you order any of the lobster combos – there are three of them – you can order another lobster tail for just 3 bucks more (!). No question, I ordered an additional tail. My wife had the grilled fish. I was so involved in the vibe and ambience (ok, and the lobster) that I didn’t even look to see what kind of fish they served. Our waiter went off to get our order started. Anticipation was starting to get the better of me as we waited for our meal.

And here comes our waiter with my beloved shellfish. They come grilled, not steamed, with the shell already split. A container of melted butter rides on the side. I couldn’t wait to taste my prize. I cut a small piece. Ahhhh, yes. This is good lobster. A little smaller than I expected but still large enough to more than justify the price. It has a slightly sweet taste. Grilling really amplified the taste while adding its own flavor to the mix. I ate a couple of forkfuls plain before carefully drizzling butter over the rest. Savoring morsels of lobster in between sips of Sol, sitting under the warm Baja sun… I could get used to this.

The New York steak was grilled precisely to my order. The cut was tender, juicy, generous, and of good quality. Freshness was big plus. Very little effort was required to cut it. Relishing almost every bite of the steak served to etch a very pleasant memory of this lunch in my mind. Just writing about this makes me want another one. Compared to restaurants back in the states that serve steak, Crazy Lobster has quite a few of them beat. Too bad Crazy Lobster doesn’t offer a second steak for 3 bucks.

Of course, what meal would be complete without rice and beans? Strangely, instead of Spanish rice, Crazy Lobster serves white rice. Topped with Mexican cheese, the frijoles were excellent. So good were the frijoles, we got another order. Warm tortillas wrapped in a cloth rounded out our meal. On these I spread a bit of butter and used them to scoop the frijoles.

Near the end of our lunch the Mariachis showed up and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have them serenade my wife. By then everyone else had left and we pretty much had the place to ourselves for about 10 minutes. Our entertainers broke out into full song, singing heartily with mucho gusto. (I know, I know. But I couldn’t let that pass). It was a song I was not familiar with. Funny things is after they finished their cancion, they hung around fiddling with their strings pretending to tune their guitars until I tipped them. Then they were outta there, fast! My wife says I should have waited a little longer before tipping and maybe they would have sung another song.

Before we left Cabo, we were talking about things to do if we come back. One of those things will be a return trip here. Maybe I’ll try a different lobster combo. I can’t wait!

The Crazy Lobster – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended. Definitely worth bypassing the restaurants on the marina to eat here.