The Sleepless Lobster (La Langosta Desvelada)

March 19, 2015

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico – When we were here in 2009, we visited The Crazy Lobster. Later, I learned that they had a sister restaurant nearby. I promised myself that if I were blessed enough to come back to Cabo San Lucas, I would visit their sister restaurant. Fortune smiled this year and I kept my promise.

The Sleepless Lobster (La Langosta Desvelada), as I mentioned, is the sister restaurant to The Crazy Lobster. In fact, the two are walking distance apart. It is located less than two blocks from the end of the marina around Dock P. That extra block away from the marina means there is less traffic. But that does not mean it is any less popular.

Our trip began during Easter break. So I was well prepared to find the place packed with revelers. Turns out the party people were there the night before and one of the employees said it was, indeed, packed. But today at lunchtime, my wife and I were the only patrons. A handful of employees were there and a couple of locals working in resorts nearby stopped in to chat, grab their food, and go. That meant we pretty much had the restaurant (and staff) all to ourselves.

Finding the place was easy. Outside is whitewashed, and there are several mottos and sayings painted around the entrance. Inside you’ll find many more. Some of them are very
funny. Like this one: “If you buy the cook’s (sic) a drink, you may
get a bigger lobster.”

Inside is a single, large room with plastic tables and natural wicker and leather chairs placed throughout. The tables are covered with a large plaid tablecloth. These are topped with smaller, rose-colored tablecloths. On a raised step near the rear of the room reside a couple of pool tables and a foosball table. The kitchen area is right near the entrance. You can watch the cooks prepare your food, although I would suggest doing so from your table.

We chose a table and sat down to relax and peruse the menu. One of the staff came out to chat with us and take our drink order. I ordered a Pacifico Clara. (Remember this as it will

Crazy Casuela

make an important entrance into the story very soon). Speaking of drinks, The Sleepless Lobster has something called a Crazy Casuela. It is made with grapefruit, lime, and orange,
plus four shots of tequila (yes, four shots), and is served in a huge ceramic bowl with two straws. It looked delicious and refreshing. It also looked dangerous. My wife ordered one.

The menu is the same as its sister’s. I planned to order the same meal as I had when we visited The Crazy Lobster so I could compare the two.

I ordered the New York Steak and lobster tail combo ($432 pesos). It comes with rice, beans, and tortillas. I asked for an additional lobster tail. I was so glad to be back here I didn’t even ask them how much it cost.

Your meal is cooked after you order. While we waited, we just took in the atmosphere, having a laugh or two reading the signs. In between, we munched on the chips and salsa. Though both the salsa and the chips were good, nothing really stood out about them. That said, you can see in the photo that we had demolished them before the meal arrived.

As I rose to go find the restroom, I bumped into the table. Since it was a plastic table, it shook, causing my full bottle of Pacifico to spill…right in my lap. You can imagine what this looked like. I walked up to the front counter to ask our server for a napkin. He had a knowing smile on his face and promptly handed me two…and offered to replace my Pacifico. Fortunately, it was a warm day and my jeans dried well before we left the restaurant.

Our food arrived and we dived right in. One or two more small groups walked in while we were dining. And because it was so uncrowded, we were able to really take our time and enjoy the meal, to enjoy just being back in Cabo San Lucas again.

The plate was completely full. There was barely enough space for the garnish of an orange slice topped with a parsley sprig. No room for the limes; they came quartered and served on their own saucer.

Let’s dig in. Starting with the rice, it was white rice. Since The Crazy Lobster served white rice, I was expecting this. Still, it is a bit different for me, being used to Spanish rice. I think I will start changing my expectations. The beans were de la olla, topped with Mexican cheese. I ate some plain, scooped some with the chips, and mixed a bit with the rice. I think I prefer them plain. In the tortilla warmer were plenty of tortillas, enough to last through the meal. I spread butter on some, used a couple to scoop up the beans, and even tried a lobster taco. (Note to self: This is another one of times when you ought to leave good enough alone).

The Pacifico went very well with the meal. Light on the palate. Because it was a warm day, those two beers did not last very long.

Looks like the price of food has caused The Sleepless Lobster to use a lower grade of meat. My New York steak was perfectly grilled to my medium rare order but I could tell right away by looking at it that it was a lesser grade than last time we were in Cabo San Lucas. Still good, though. Hot off the grill, juicy, and a nice-sized portion. The taste of the steak was not disguised by an overabundance of spices. In fact, I’m not sure they used any other than a pinch of salt and maybe pepper, if that.

The lobster tail was fresh. It, too, was grilled. It had a light dusting of pepper and other spices, along with a pinch of minced garlic. It comes to the table with the top of the shell split and the meat lifted on top. It had a firm, meaty texture. I appreciate that it was a decent-sized lobster tail. I drizzled butter on most of it but it was good enough even without butter.

I didn’t forget about the Crazy Casuela. The fact they give you two straws should tell you something. We liked it immediately. It was as delicious as it was refreshing. You could taste each of the individual juices…and, of course, the Tequila. If we had another hour or more to spend, I probably would’ve ordered another one. Why another hour? Because this drink will sneak up on you. Not surprising with four shots of Tequila. You’ll need some time to process it all before going anywhere. We had plans for later in the afternoon so we had to leave that second Crazy Casuela for our next visit. Hopefully it won’t be too long.

In my opinion, it is better to visit here with a group of two or more. The atmosphere alone should be plenty to get a conversation going. Engage the staff. Take advantage of their drink specials. And be sure to read all of the sayings painted on the wall. My guess is that your visit here will be a memorable one. Be advised that it can and does get very busy at certain times of the year.

The Sleepless Lobster (La Langosta Desvelada) – 4 forks. Recommended. Definitely worth a stop if you are in town. They will also cook any fish you catch.

How did the two restaurants compare? As far as the meals go, they are virtually identical, as you would expect. But each has its own distinct vibe.