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Just Good Meals
By Greg Niemann

It seems Top 10 lists are everywhere these days. And everyone wants to know where to get a good meal. I'm constantly asked about where to eat in Baja so I came up with this Very Subjective list from among my favorite spots to dine throughout the entire Baja California peninsula.

Let me preface that I included nothing from Cabo San Lucas or from big hotels and resorts, many of which offer outstanding meals. With few exceptions I kept my list to the average or low budget traveler, and some of these "finds" are in very out-of-the-way locations along the highway.

I'm also partial to fish and seafood, so some very fine establishments like the several El Nido Restaurants that specialize in beef didn't make my particular list.

Also some of the best Baja meals are glommed from the street corner. An example is the fish taco, which originated in Baja and can be found in abundance in Ensenada and San Felipe. With so many good stands it's hard to single out one. I return to the ones that provide more fish than fatty batter. Juana's El Palomito trucks near Cantamar and McLulu's in Loreto are two good ones.

Another example is the carne asada taco, chopped-up beef in a soft corn tortilla with guacamole and the trimmings. They run from great to so-so if the taqueria doesn't cut out the gristle. Found in Tijuana, Rosarito and elsewhere, it's even called Tijuana-style in other parts of Mexico.

But let's get on to my list.

1. Mauricio's (Ejido Nuevo Rosarito) This little truck stop cafe on Highway 1 about 400 miles south of the border is a real treat. The nondescript cafe features walls of cut onyx inside and several women bustling in the kitchen. I try to time my drive on the highway to coincide with hunger for Mauricio's. I've even ordered entrees for breakfast. Don't know which I like better, the plentiful Callos (scallops) Ranchero or the humongous plate of Langosta (Lobster) Machaca. Reasonable prices.

2. Malarrimo (Guerrero Negro) Enrique Achoy opened his famed Malarrimo Restaurant in Guerrero Negro in 1974 just after the highway opened and it has provided fine dining for those traveling Transpeninsular Highway 1 ever since. Great Breaded Abalone, Octopus Spanish Olive Oil (sautéed), Blue Crab Casserole au Gratin, Scallops, Lobster, Halibut Filet Broiled with Crispy Garlic, Sirloin Steak au Milanaise, Filet Mignons and more. For years the only fine dining along the central highway. One problem is it's only about an hour or so south of Mauricio's. To eat at them both prompts a night's stay. Hey, it's about as far as you can drive in one day anyway.

3. La Bamba (Loreto) This restaurant on the main street near the Loreto Mission looks like many others but the food is special. The French owner (Phillipe) has combined old world flavors with typical Baja cuisine and the result works well. The Carmen Plate (named for the offshore island) for example, features fish, oysters, clams, shrimp, nopales (cactus) and rice in a Maneuire Sauce. The complete meal is exotic and inexpensive.

4. Le Bistrot Francais (La Paz) Another French addition to the Baja cuisine. The restaurant is on a shady side street downtown that backs to the Malecon (Seaside Street). Plastered with French artist's posters, the thick walled old colonial building opens into a charming courtyard. Owner Babette offers a French treatment of typical Baja dishes. Hearty bread, salad and a seafood soup is a meal itself.

5. El Rey Sol (Ensenada) This is not another French restaurant in Baja. This is the premier French Restaurant in all of Mexico. Opened in 1947 by Virginia (Dona Pepita) Geffroy de Bitterlin, this family-run legend has hosted six Mexican Presidents and numerous celebrities. It has deserved its many international awards. My book "Baja Legends" presents two of its recipes, one for Pumpkin Soup and one for Clams: Style Coquille Saint Jacques.

6. Cielito Lindo (San Quintin) South of San Quintin, down near the Hotel La Pinta is the Cielito Lindo Motel, Trailer Park and Restaurant. While the place is legendary, long-time owners David and Juanita Fitzpatrick have offered one item that is the best you'll get anywhere. It's the Blue Shell Cracked Crab dinner. It's a huge plentiful platter; it's very messy, but it's great and memorable! The Fitzpatrick's have sold the restaurant portion of their enterprise, but new owner Esteban Valdez Espinosa and manager Jose Luis offer the same meal of delicious locally harvested crabs.

7. Halfway House (Between Rosarito Beach and Ensenada) Halfway House, the first bar between Tijuana and Ensenada which opened in 1922, has always served wholesome food. But in 1998, owner Alejandro Villalvazo Jr. hired chef Johnny Villegas away from a hotel up the coast. Tablecloths and place settings added class and the varied and fresh cuisine is a delightful surprise. It's good Baja food prepared with an international flair. Inexpensive too.

8. Santa Fe (Todos Santos) Straddling the Tropic of Cancer about an hour's drive north of Cabo San Lucas along the Pacific is the delightful artist's village of Todos Santos. Facing the town square is a nondescript old colonial building with a small sign that says "Santa Fe." Inside a busy staff bustles about the expansive restaurant and garden tables hidden among the palms. This is fine Italian cuisine from the bread sticks to the pastas. The Linguini Marinara is the best I've ever had. I order it every trip.

9. El Palomar (Santiago) Straddling the Tropic of Cancer on the other (Sea of Cortez) side is the old mission town of Santiago. Still untouched by tourism, the town's one tourist business is more than a Baja Legend. The El Palomar Hotel was developed by owner Sergio Gomez' parents, Cirilo and Virginia Gomez at the suggestion of crooner Bing Crosby. The few rooms face a fragrant garden with dining tables. I love their fish filet over cilantro sauce. Sergio once told me that Barbara Streisand was a recent visitor who gushed over the fresh fish prepared mojo de ajo style.

10. Puerto Nuevo (Puerto Nuevo) The village of Puerto Nuevo about 11 miles south of Rosarito Beach has become a culinary legend. I eat there a lot and will not single out any one restaurant, as they are so similar. The halfed lobsters with the beans, rice and mouth-watering flour tortillas have become famous beyond Baja and even beyond Southern California. We usually pick a restaurant depending on who's with us and what's important: guacamole or tortilla soup, or drinks included? Other stuff on menu? Credit card accepted? Bar?

Honorable Mention
Calafia (South of Rosarito Beach) Great ambience on ocean. Good food, too. I like the quail.
Old Pier (San Quintin) Small out-of-the-way place (two miles dirt road from highway). Owners Carlos and Lupita Martin serve great fish filets.
Caesars (Tijuana) The classic; the originator of the Caesar Salad.
Rositas (San Felipe) The Romo brothers also own the Rice and Beans in San Felipe and San Ignacio.
La Palapa (Mulege) South of town on highway near the Serenidad. Where the locals eat.

Greg Niemann is the author of "Baja Legends" and "Baja Fever" available from the DB bookshelf.